FIDE World Cadet and Youth Rapid & Blitz Championship 2026 Gets Underway in Serbia
The FIDE World Cadet and Youth Rapid & Blitz Championship 2026 officially started today in Vrnjačka Banja, a Serbian town widely recognized as one of the country’s leading centers of chess and tourism. Bringing together young talents from across the globe, the major event has gathered around 450 players representing 40 national federations. Competition is being held in six age categories—Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, and Under 18—in both the Open and Girls sections.
The schedule features rapid chess from April 15 to 17, followed by blitz chess on April 19 and 20. Both events are being played over an 11-round Swiss system. The top seeds in the Open sections include Aleksandr Usov (2468), Khumoyun Begmuratov (2467), Nikolay Averin (2461), Aldiyar Ansat (2440), David Kaufman (2417), and Alex Villa Tornero (2414). In the Girls sections, the leading names on the starting list are Afruza Khamdamova (2367), Diana Preobrazhenskaya (2304), Zarina Nurgaliyeva (2256), Diana Khafizova (2234), Elnaz Kaliakhmet (2222), and Sara Mijic (2191). These names underline that the championship is not only large in scale, but also highly competitive in playing strength.
The opening ceremony took place in a packed hall at Hotel Zepter, beginning with the anthems of the Republic of Serbia and FIDE. Speeches were delivered by Andrija Jorgić, President of the Chess Federation of Serbia; Ozgur Solakoglu, FIDE representative; Ratko Nikolić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Sports; and Boban Đurović, Mayor of Vrnjačka Banja. In his remarks, Jorgić thanked the Ministry of Sports and the host municipality for their support, while also emphasizing the trust placed in Serbia by FIDE and its President Arkady Dvorkovich. Events of this kind are especially significant because they strengthen a country’s chess infrastructure, give young players valuable experience on a global stage, and help lay the foundation for the next generation of masters and grandmasters.
Held in a venue so closely associated with chess, the championship is about more than medals alone; it also serves as one of the first major global showcases for future stars of the game. Compared with classical chess, rapid and blitz demand sharper time management, practical calculation, and strong psychological resilience, making them ideal formats for revealing a young player’s competitive instincts. As the rounds unfold in the coming days, the chess world will be watching for surprise results, the form of the rating favorites, and the emerging title races across all age groups.