3 min readNew DelhiJun 20, 2026 07:30 AM IST Team MGD1, the reigning champion of the FIDE World Rapid Team Championship, came agonisingly close to defending their title in Hong Kong, only to fall short against the Chinese team Dragon Chilling. Led by Arjun Erigaisi on the top board, Team MGD1 finished tied for the top spot alongside Ding Liren’s Dragon Chilling and Hexamind Chess Team, with all three teams scoring 18 points from 12 Rapid rounds. Hexamind had 45 points in board points, the second tiebreak, while both the Indian and Chinese teams were tied with 46 points apiece. It was the third tiebreak (TB3) that determined the Rapid event winner this year. Team MGD1 had 632 compared to Dragon Chilling’s 647.5, as the Chinese team clinched their maiden title in their first appearance in the unique team event. ALSO READ | How Arjun Erigaisi took down Magnus Carlsen in Hong Kong Team MGD1 started the final day of the Rapid event with a 3.5-2.5 loss to Hexamind, which in hindsight proved costly in …