FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026 Preview

Tournament Information

The FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship is a six-player team event featuring a star-studded field of the world's strongest players. The first even was held in 2023, with this year's event marking the fourth iteration of the Team Championships. Team MGD1 is the defending champion in rapid, while WR Chess (Team) is the defending champion in blitz.

Team Composition

Each team is composed of six players, with the possibility of three more reserves. The only two stipulations for each team are:

• One female player
• One player who never achieved a 2000 Elo in FIDE Standard, Rapid, or Blitz or equivalent national rating up to and including the March 2026 rating lists

Time control

The time control for the rapid portion is 15 minutes + 10 seconds increment.

The time control for the blitz portion is 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment.

Format

Rapid

Swiss, 12 rounds

Blitz

Stage 1: 4 pools, 12 teams each
Stage 2: Top 16 teams play a knockout

Prize Fund

The total prize fund is 500,000 euros

Lichess Broadcast

The Lichess broadcast coverage can be found here.

Lichess Interviews

Check out our on-site player interviews on YouTube after every round!

Lichess Blogs

Lichess will have recaps for both the rapid and blitz events.

Interviews

Our director of operations, Theo Wait, caught up with GM Javokhir Sindarov and GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda ahead of the tournament's start:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXsvCMTcEe0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0elbXuFut84

Schedule

Rapid

Blitz

Pool

Knockouts

Rapid Lineup

Blitz Lineup

Teams Overview

In the rapid, WR Chess, Hexamind Chess Team, and Kazchess top the field. WR Chess has a star-studded field of veterans: GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Wesley So, and GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, with GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, GM Alexandria Kosteniuk, team founder Wadim Rosenstein, and Gombojav Zandanshatar completing the lineup. Hexamind Chess Team has some veteran world class specialists, too — GM Levon Aronian and GM Anish Giri — alongside one of the world's best speed chess players, GM Alireza Firouzja, former rapid world champion, GM Volodar Murzin, and decorated players GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, GM Kateryna Lagno, and GM Divya Deshmukh. Kazchess has a similar roster to the aforementioned two teams, with the likes of GM Richárd Rapport, GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, and GM Alexander Grischuk.

In the blitz, the top three teams are largely the same, with one exception: the Dragon Chilling team replaces Kazchess. Former world champion GM Ding Liren, joined by distinguished luminaries GM Yu Yangyi, GM Wei Yi, GM Lu Shanglei, GM Ju Wenjun, GM Bai Jinshi, and GM Lei Tingjie, will be aiming for a shot at the crown as his team faces off against WR Chess and Hexamind Chess Team, as well as other top teams, such as #4 seed Kazchess, #5 seed Mr Birdie and friends, #6 seed Team MGD1, and #7 seed Endgame.AI.

GM Magnus Carlsen

Perceptions of GM Magnus Carlsen's dominance may change, but the statistics remain in his favor. Fresh off a victory at the 2026 ASEAN E-Sports Chess Cup, Carlsen has won nearly every tournament he has participated in in the past three years. As the reigning rapid and blitz world champion, Carlsen will be a force to be reckoned with, with many teams hoping to stop the freight train that is GM Magnus Carlsen.

GM Vladislav Artemiev

GM Vladislav Artemiev is one of the most solid and accurate players to grace speed chess history, having finished the 2025 World Rapid Championship in 2nd place with no losses. He has not been as active as other players in OTB speed chess, but he remains a very strong board 1 who will be fully capable of helping his birdies rise.

GM Arjun Erigaisi

GM Arjun Erigaisi has been a consistent force in speed chess, finishing in the top three in a series of events. Most recently, he finished in third place at the 2025 World Rapid Championship and in clear first in the Swiss portion of the 2025 World Blitz Championship.

GM Alireza Firouzja

GM Alireza Firouzja has one of the most glowing reputations in speed chess, and for good reason. Already establishing his reputation as a speed chess specialist at a very young age, Firouzja has continued to grow and win speed chess title after title. With a disappointing rapid performance at the GCT: Super Rapid & Blitz Poland 2026, but an acceptable blitz, Firouzja's form coming into the event is an open question; his class, though, remains of the highest caliber.

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov has been rising up the ranks in recent years, in not just speed chess, but also classical time controls. After doing well against Carlsen in their mini-match in the aforementioned 2025 World Blitz Championship, Abdusattorov has only continued to solidify his reputation as a speed chess top contender.