June 17–18 | Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hong Kong
The 2026 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships brings together 48 of the world's strongest teams in Hong Kong. This year, for the first time, Chessnut is on the board.
Chessnut Nova — six players from five countries, assembled not as a sponsorship exercise but as a real competitive team, ready to battle the best.
GM Raunak Sadhwani 🇮🇳 · GM Daniel Dardha 🇧🇪 · GM Casper Schoppen 🇳🇱 · GM Marc'Andria Maurizzi 🇫🇷 · IM Lu Miaoyi 🇨🇳 · Tim Letoret 🇧🇪
Nova opened with two convincing wins before falling to the powerful Dragon Chilling (led by Ding Liren) and bouncing back against Indonesia. A 3-win, 1-loss day that announced our arrival.
⭐ MVP Game: Maurizzi vs Duda (Round 2 vs WR Chess)
In the marquee matchup against top-seeded WR Chess (Carlsen, Caruana, MVL), the decisive blow came on Board 4. After a rook exchange, Maurizzi played c4 — the key moment that seized the initiative completely. From there he never looked back, converting cleanly against Jan-Krzysztof Duda. A textbook demonstration of seizing momentum.
A loss to second-seeded Team MGD1 was followed by a strong team win over Mongolia-Aldar, then a hard-fought draw against Hexamind — a team stacked with Firouzja, Aronian, and Giri. Nova closed the day with a narrow loss to Chess United (Anand's team).
⭐ Game of the Day: Dardha vs Aronian (Round 7 vs Hexamind)
In a match both teams desperately needed, Daniel Dardha faced Levon Aronian (2730) on Board 2. Against one of the game's all-time greats, Daniel showed zero fear — patiently building his position, setting a trap, and catching Aronian's queen. A stunning upset and the kind of game that defines a tournament.
After 8 rounds: 9 match points — 15th out of 48 teams.
For a first-time team at this level, Nova is holding its own against the world's best. The win over top-seeded WR Chess, the draw with Hexamind, and individual brilliance from every board member show this team belongs here.
One round of rapid left, then on to Blitz. The story continues.
