WR Chess CEO Wadim Rosenstein announced that Chinese GM Hou Yifan, a member of the WR Chess team, will not be able to play in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Chess Championships 2026. Russian GM Aleksandra Goryachkina joins the team and will replace Hou at the event.

Wadim Rosenstein

Wadim Rosenstein

WR Chess CEO

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Hou Yifan will unfortunately be unable to join WR Chess Team for the upcoming competition in Hong Kong.

While we regret this situation, our ambition remains unchanged: to become World Champions once again.”

WR Chess updated roster (with Rapid and Blitz ratings):

  • 🇩🇪 Jan Gustafsson (2641 / 2519) (Captain)
  • 🇳🇴 Magnus Carlsen (2832 / 2869)
  • 🇫🇷 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2725 / 2744)
  • 🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana (2723 / 2781)
  • 🇺🇸 Wesley So (2719 / 2776)
  • 🇵🇱 Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2685 / 2721)
  • 🇷🇺 Aleksandra Goryachkina (2499 / 2424)
  • 🇨🇭 Alexandra Kosteniuk (2452 / 2401)
  • 🇩🇪 Wadim Rosenstein (1721 / 1780)
  • 🇲🇳 Gombojav Zandanshatar (Not rated)

The 2026 FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships will take place in Hong Kong from June 16 to June 22. 48 teams are registered for the event, including international and national rosters. The championships will feature Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, Ding Liren, Javokhir Sindarov, Hans Moke Niemann, and others.

The event is an annual team tournament organized by FIDE in collaboration with WR Logistics GmbH. It features a hybrid format: the Rapid part with a 12-round Swiss system, and the Blitz part with one group Round-Robin followed by a knockout stage. Prize fund distribution totals $500,000 across both parts.

Credit: Lennart Ootes / FIDE