China’s Dragon Chilling delivered a stellar performance on the second day of the FIDE World Team Rapid Championship, taking sole lead after round five. After eight rounds, they are on 14 match points and remain the only undefeated team in the tournament.
Defending champions Team MGD1 are in second place with 13 match points, having won three matches and drawn one on day two. Their result has been greatly boosted by their board six player, Abhijeet Shah Aryan (pictured below), who scored 7.5/8.
The Kazakh team Barys, led by seasoned players Dmitry Andreikin and Peter Svidler, are third with 12 match points.
Dragon Chilling made a strong start in round five with a 3.5:2.5 victory over day-one co-leaders KazChess. The team swung the match thanks to GM Yu Yangyi and their steady board six player, Wang Zihao. With three games ending in draws, Dragon Chilling had already secured the match, but board one was still playing. Ding Liren was fighting a lost queen endgame against Richard Rapport, his second during the 2023 World Championship match. In what turned out to be the longest game of the round, Ding ultimately had to resign.
After defeating KazChess, Dragon Chilling drew with Endgame.ai, led by Hans Niemann, and title defenders Team MGD1. They finished the day with a commanding 4:2 victory over the Indian squad Chessgurukul, headed by Praggnanandhaa R.
Despite his team’s lead, Ding Liren’s individual performance has been uneven. The former world champion has five draws, two defeats and just one victory. The key drivers of Dragon Chilling’s success have been Yu Yangyi – who started with 5/5, then lost two games and drew in round eight – and board six Wang Zihao, who scored six wins and drew one game in the seven rounds he has played.
Rating favorites and previous rapid winners, WR Chess had a mixed day. They started with a 4:2 victory over Mr Birdie and Friends (named in homage to a player’s recently deceased pet) but then lost to Team MGD1, 3.5:2.5. In round seven, they defeated Sky Chess, but then suffered a bitter 4:2 defeat in the eighth round at the hands of Barys. They are now in 11th place, with 10 match points.
WR’s star player, world number one Magnus Carlsen, scored just half a point from the three games on day two. He started with a draw against Vladislav Artemiev. Despite arriving five minutes late to the game, Artemiev used his well-known blitz skills to hold Carlsen to a draw. The former World Champion then stumbled in round six, losing to MGD1’s Arjun Erigaisi, and was stunned in round seven by Shant Sargsyan, who is rated around 200 points lower. WR rested Carlsen in the final round, but it did not change their fortunes, as they suffered a surprising 4:2 defeat to Barys, who leapt to third place.
With four rounds left, everything will be decided on the third and final day of the FIDE World Team Rapid Championship.
Amateurs fighting for the world crown
The inaugural FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup kicked off in Hong Kong today, running alongside the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships.
With an average rating of 1618, the competition gives non-professional players a rare chance to experience a world championship atmosphere – playing in the same venue, on the same boards and clocks, as some of the best players in the world.
The event consists of a nine-round Swiss tournament divided into two pools, followed by the finals.
After three rounds on the first day, Le Petit Prince and South Luzon Amateurs PH lead Pool A, both having won all three matches. In Pool B, first place is shared by Trophy Hunters and Hong Kong Young Dragons, who also finished the day with a perfect score.
Written by Milan Dinic
Photos: Michal Walusza
About the WTRBСС and the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup
The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships were launched in 2023. It is a global team competition where teams are made up of elite grandmasters, prodigies and recreational players. It consists of two tournaments – rapid and blitz. This is the first time the event is being held in Hong Kong and East Asia.
The Hong Kong event also features the FIDE World Team Amateur Rapid Chess Cup, where teams are strictly made up of amateur chess players.
The WTRBCC take place from 17-21 June, with three days for the rapid and two days for the blitz. The prize fund for the WTRBСС is €500,000, and €25,000 for the Amateur cup.
Official websites:
WTRBCC: http://worldrapidblitzteams2026.fide.com
Amateur Cup: http://worldteamamateurrapid2026.hkchessevent.com
