All you need to know about FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships

The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 are set to bring elite chess action to Hong Kong, marking the first time the event is being held in East Asia. The tournament officially got underway on June 17 at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

This is the fourth edition of the event, and it has quickly grown into one of the most exciting team-based competitions in international chess, bringing together top grandmasters, both men and women, rising stars, and amateur players in the same format.

More than 40 teams and over 300 players are taking part in this year’s championships. The competition features both Rapid and Blitz formats, along with a separate Amateur Cup running alongside the main event.

World Team Rapid and Blitz format explained

Each team consists of six to nine players along with a captain, who can also play. Every match is played across six boards with each day featuring four rounds.

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There are two special requirements in every team lineup, which are that at least one female player should be there alongside at least one recreational player (a player rated below 2000 Elo or unrated).

Rapid Championship (June 17-19)

The Rapid section will run for three days and follow a 12-round Swiss system.

Scoring is based on match points:

Time control: 15 minutes + 10 seconds per move from move one.

The Rapid winner will receive €110,000 (Rs 1.2 crore) from a total Rapid prize fund of €310,000 (Rs 3.3 crore).

Blitz Championship (June 20-21)

The Blitz event is faster and more intense, featuring a two-stage format:

Time control: 3 minutes + 2 seconds per move

The Blitz champion team will earn €75,000 (Rs 82 lakh) from a total Blitz prize pool of €190,000 (Rs 2 crore).

World Team Rapid and Blitz schedule

Teams and line-ups

The tournament brings together some of the strongest chess teams in the world with a few mentioned below:

WR Chess lineup: Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Andrey Esipenko, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Hou Yifan.

Hexamind lineup: Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Alireza Firouzja, Vidit Gujrathi, Kateryna Lagno and Volodar Murzin.

Team MGD1 lineup: Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Pranav V, Leon Luke Mendonca, and Harika Dronavalli.

Chessgurukul lineup: Vaishali Rameshbabu, Praggnanandhaa, Aravindh Chithambaram, Pranesh Munirethinam, and Karthikeyan Murali.

Chess United lineup: Viswanathan Anand, Humpy Koneru, Jorden van Foreest, Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, Roman Shogdzhiev, and Tunde Onakaya.

Uzbekistan lineup: Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov, Mukhiddin Madaminov, Afruza Khamdamova and Umida Omonova.

Dragon Chilling lineup: Ding Liren, Ju Wenjun Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Lu Shanglei, Bai Jinshi, and Lei Tingjie.

Hexamind Chess Team lineup: Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, Levon Aronian, Volodar Murzin, and Kateryna Lagno.

When and where to watch the World Team Rapid and Blitz 2026?

All matches will be held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, a venue that has already hosted major chess events such as the 2025 Eastern Asia Juniors and Girls Championships.

How to buy tickets for World Team Rapid and Blitz 2026?

Tickets are available via official platforms including URBTIX, with both single-day and multi-day passes.

How to watch World Team Rapid and Blitz 2026?

The tournament will be streamed live on FIDE’s official YouTube channel, starting with the opening rapid rounds on June 17.