By Milan Dinic
From 16 to 22 June, the crème de la crème of the chess world will gather in Hong Kong for the fourth edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, alongside the inaugural World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, with both events featuring more than 800 participants.
Since its launch in 2023, the FIDE WRBT has become one of the most popular global fast chess team events, where top world players, men and women, prodigies and non-professionals, come together in a mixed-team format to compete for two world crowns.
After the inaugural edition in Dusseldorf in 2023, where 36 teams played, each year the number has grown – 38 in Astana in 2024 and then London made a leap with nearly 60 teams in 2025. Hong Kong has raised the ceiling higher, with 48 teams with nearly 400 players, as well as the first World Team Amateur Cup which is expected to have more than 400 participants.
“The size of this event is not only in numbers. The field includes world champions, elite grandmasters, leading women players, juniors, club players, corporate officials, and recreational players. That mix gives the FIDE WRBT a unique place in chess,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
This is the first time the WRBT is coming to East Asia, where it will be hosted jointly by FIDE and the Hong Kong China Chess Federation.
“Hosting the tournament in Hong Kong is a statement to the capacities and the ambitions of our chess federation, showing that we want to be taken seriously as a chess city,” said Geoffrey Kao, the Honorary President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation.
The timing of the event is strong. Chess power has been shifting towards Asia in recent years, with India, China, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan being central to elite chess. Hong Kong sits naturally between these chess cultures, while still being a global business and travel hub. That fits the WRB Teams well, because this event is not only for national teams. It brings together clubs, sponsors, companies, academies, and private teams.
“I am very proud of my team for developing this unique event. This is not only about enjoyment and great chess but also about bringing people of different chess skills as well as different backgrounds and outlooks on life together under one roof. As a result, the event is also a fair where people meet, exchange ideas, and connect on a personal and professional level, leading to new opportunities for everyone. That is exactly what we want to give to the chess community,” Dvorkovich said.
Key facts about the 2026 FIDE Team WRB Championships
The main competition days are 17 to 21 June at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. The field has 48 teams and nearly 400 players confirmed.
