Chinese team Dragon Chilling won the blitz tournament at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2026 in Hong Kong, adding to their earlier rapid victory. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
In the final, the Dragons defeated the international team Endgame.Al twice (5:1, 5:1). Endgame.Al featured Americans Hans Niemann and Leinier Dominguez Perez, Denis Lazavik (Belarus), Alexey Sarana (Serbia), Chinese player Zhu Jiner, and Nguyen Anh Dzung from Vietnam.
The lineup of the double champions is also impressive. Alongside chess queen Ju Wenjun and former world champion Ding Liren, strong players Wei Yi, Yu Yangyi, Lu Shanglei, Bai Jinshi, and others shared the success.
Bronze was won by the Uzbekistan team led by Javokhir Sindarov, a contender for the chess crown.
Detailed tournament results: - Dragon Chilling – Mr Birdie and Friends 2.5:3.5, 3.5:2.5, 4:2 - Hexamind Chess Team – Chessgurucul 3.5:2.5, 3.5:2.5 - Dragon Chilling – Uzbekistan 4.5:1.5, 1.5:4.5, 4.5:1.5 - Endgame.Al – Hexamind Chess Team 2.5:3.5, 5:1, 4:2 - Uzbekistan – Hexamind Chess Team 2:4, 3.5:2.5, 5.5:0.5 - Dragon Chilling – Endgame.Al 5:1, 5:1
Two teams from the Kazakhstan Chess Federation finished without medals. Last year's blitz vice-champion Kazchess placed eighth in rapid and exited the blitz after the round of 16. Barys also ended its blitz campaign at the same stage, having finished 12th in rapid.
Playing for Kazchess in Hong Kong were Bibisara Assaubayeva, Kazybek Nogerbek, Aldiyar Ansat, Meruert Kamalidenova, and amateur Kumar Tyulyupov. The lineup was significantly strengthened by star legionnaires Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Richard Rapport (Hungary), and Wang Hao (China).
Barys featured Russians Peter Svidler and Dmitry Andreikin, as well as young Kazakh players Denis Makhnev, Ramazan Zhalmakhanov, Daniyal Sapenov, Yergali Suleimen, Ksenia Balabaeva, Alua Nurman, and amateur Ailin Zarkym.
Notably, Nurman and Tyulyupov won silver medals in the rapid tournament on their boards.
The 48 teams participating in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships included players from various countries. The regulations did not prohibit players from the same country playing on one team.
The team WR Chess, led by world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway, had a poor tournament. In rapid, the superstars finished 17th, and in blitz they were eliminated after the quarterfinals.