IM Yap finishes World Rapid Team Chess campaign on a high note

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Despite the Davao Chess Eagles finishing outside the upper half of the standings, Cebuano International Master (IM) Kim Steven Yap delivered a strong individual performance in the recently concluded FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Chess Championships 2026 in Hong Kong.

Yap, the lone Cebuano woodpusher in the tournament and representing the Davao Chess Eagles in the world’s premier team chess competition, scored 6.0 points in 10 rounds of the rapid event. He tallied five wins and two draws against a tough international field.

READ: IM Kim Steven Yap sets sights on World Rapid and Blitz Team tilt

IM Yap in the world stage

He started steadily, drawing his first two matches against Grandmasters Zhao Jun and Manuel Peña Gómez of Spain.

Yap then found his rhythm, stringing together three straight victories — first against Woman International Master (WIM) HuaHua Xu of the Qingdao Wanyun Chess Club, followed by Spanish IM Rubén Domingo Núñez of C.A. Casilla Integrant Chess, and Russia’s Victor Kurochkin of Perfect Chess Club.

His winning streak was halted in the sixth round by Malaysia Chess Club Grandmaster Yeoh Li Tian.

READ: IM Kim Yap stuns GM foe, shares lead

But Yap bounced back in emphatic fashion in the seventh round, pulling off his biggest win of the tournament with an upset victory over world No. 78 and grandmaster Alexander Ipatov of Turkey.

He followed it up with another win against Australia’s Harry Press in Round 8 before closing his campaign with back-to-back losses to Indian IM V.S. Rathanvel and China’s Qilin Bao.

The Davao Chess Eagles finished 38th overall with 10 match points and 29.5 tie-break points.

Team Dragon Chilling, composed of five Grandmasters, clinched the title with 18 points and 46 tie-break points, edging Team MGD1 and Hexmind Chess Team on superior tie-breaks.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.