Hong Kong is preparing for one of the most ambitious gatherings in team chess
The fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will be held in Hong Kong from 16 to 22 June 2026, and team registration has officially opened. After stops in Düsseldorf 2023, Astana 2024, and London 2025, moving the event to one of Asia's most dynamic hubs gives the championship added visibility. Over the last three years, the tournament has steadily grown stronger and has become one of the most compelling events in modern team chess because it brings elite grandmasters and club-level players under the same roof.
The main feature that sets this championship apart is its mixed-team format. Every match is played on six boards, and each lineup must include at least one female player and at least one recreational player. Under FIDE's definition, a recreational player must be someone who has never crossed the 2000 Elo mark in the standard, rapid, or blitz rating lists. This structure makes not only star power but also team chemistry, squad depth, and results under pressure decisive factors; as a result, the tournament consistently produces not just top-level chess, but also contests with real narrative weight.
The previous editions clearly showed how fruitful this format can be. In Astana 2024, the rapid title went to Al-Ain ACMG UAE, while in the blitz competition the trophy was lifted by WR Chess Team, led by Magnus Carlsen. In London 2025, Team MGD1, featuring Arjun Erigaisi, reached the top in rapid chess; WR Chess then defended its blitz crown for a second straight year thanks to strong performances from Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Considering how even a single mistake in speed chess can change the outcome of an entire match, it becomes easier to see why this team event has earned such a special place on the calendar.
The 2026 Hong Kong edition is already shaping up to be one of the strongest yet. WR Chess Team have confirmed an extremely powerful roster featuring Magnus Carlsen on board one, Fabiano Caruana on board two, and once again Maxime Vachier-Lagrave; on the women's boards, Hou Yifan and Alexandra Kosteniuk remain in place. In addition, reigning rapid champions MGD1, rising squad Hexamind, and several other top teams are expected to return. There are very few events on the calendar where an amateur player can share a team with Super Grandmasters, so the championship in Hong Kong is shaping up to be not only a title race, but also a showcase for the inclusive face of team chess.