Dragon Chilling Claim World Teams Rapid Title in Hong Kong Amid Asia’s Chess Surge

The Chinese squad Dragon Chilling won the gold medal at the World Teams Rapid, held as part of the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Hong Kong. The event, carrying a total prize fund of €500,000, featured several strong national teams alongside favourites such as WR Chess, led by world No 1 Magnus Carlsen.

A Surprise Winner in a Star-Studded Field

Dragon Chilling may be an unfamiliar name to many followers of elite chess, but the Chinese team delivered a commanding performance to finish atop the standings. The tournament’s unique team format places six players at the board, including one woman, one junior, and one amateur who has never achieved a 2000 rating, making the Chinese squad’s triumph all the more remarkable.

Asia’s Rising Influence on the Global Game

The strong showing by Asian teams at the opening of the championship has been widely viewed as confirmation of a sustained chess boom across the region. Enthusiasm has been fuelled by the emergence of successive world champions from Asia — Ding Liren of China and Gukesh Dommaraju of India — both of whom were among the participants in Hong Kong.

Tournament Format and Time Controls

The rapid section uses a time control of 15 minutes for the entire game with a 10-second increment from move one, while blitz employs three minutes plus a two-second increment per move. Organisers notably opted against repeating the no-increment experiment that was attempted at last year’s edition in London, which had produced chaotic finishes in several games.

Key Highlights

• Dragon Chilling of China won gold at the World Teams Rapid in Hong Kong.
• Total prize fund stands at €500,000.
• Favourites WR Chess featured Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1.
• Both reigning-era Asian world champions, Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju, competed.
• Team format mandates one woman, one junior, and one sub-2000-rated amateur per squad of six.
• Rapid time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move from move one.
• Blitz time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move.
• No-repeat decision on last year’s no-increment experiment after chaotic conclusions in London.

Source

This report is based on information published by The Guardian — Chess.

Official source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jun/19/world-rapid-and-blitz-championships-in-hong-kong-highlights-chess-boom-in-asia