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Magnus Carlsen Arrives in Hong Kong as the City Takes Centre Stage of the Chess World — for the First Time in History
The world’s greatest player makes his Hong Kong debut alongside American star Fabiano Caruana, Mongolia’s 34th Prime Minister H.E. Mr Zandanshatar Gombojav, WR Chess founder Wadim Rosenstein, and special guest World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov, opening the first East Asian edition of the FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships and turning Hong Kong into the global capital of chess this week.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 16 June 2026 – The greatest chess player of all time has touched down in Hong Kong. Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian grandmaster and undisputed World No. 1, today made his first official appearance in the city, headlining a star-studded press conference at Rosewood Hong Kong, Gallery 304, just 24 hours before the opening move of the FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026 — the first time in history this prestigious global event is being staged in East Asia.
Carlsen took the stage alongside the sport’s most magnetic names — American grandmaster and former World Championship challenger Fabiano Caruana; Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov, the official Challenger in the upcoming World Championship match; and H.E. Mr Zandanshatar Gombojav, the 34th Prime Minister of Mongolia — all teammates on WR Chess, the German-founded super-team competing this week at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
It is a line-up the chess world has never seen sit shoulder to shoulder on one stage. And it is happening in Hong Kong.
A Historic First for East Asia
From 17–21 June at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai, the FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026 bring together over 300 elite players from more than 50 countries, all chasing a share of a €500,000 prize fund — and the title of the strongest team on the planet across the sport’s two most thrilling formats.
It is the first time the championship has ever been held in East Asia, an inflection point that places Hong Kong squarely at the centre of the global chess calendar and underscores the city’s standing as Asia’s premier host of world-class sporting and intellectual spectacle.
A Founder Who Plays His Own Game
The afternoon’s quietly extraordinary character was Wadim Rosenstein, the 35-year-old German entrepreneur behind WR Chess and Chairman of WR Group Holding, one of the fastest-rising private holding groups in the world. Having committed millions of euros of his personal wealth to elevating chess globally, Rosenstein is doing something almost unheard of at this level: he is playing himself, taking the U2000 board for WR Chess this week alongside Carlsen, Caruana, Sindarov, and H.E. Mr Zandanshatar Gombojav.
It is the kind of move that captures the spirit of WR Chess in a single gesture — world champions and a dedicated enthusiast, all in the same uniform, all under the same banner.
Headlines from the Press Conference
- A historic first — Hong Kong becomes the first East Asian city ever to host the FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships
- A first visit — Magnus Carlsen makes his official Hong Kong debut
- A homecoming — Ella Carlsen returns to the city of her birth
- Four giants, one stage — Carlsen, Caruana, Sindarov, and H.E. Mr Zandanshatar address the world’s media side by side
- A head of state at the board — Mongolia’s 34th Prime Minister, H.E. Mr Zandanshatar Gombojav, competes alongside the world’s elite
- A founder who plays — Wadim Rosenstein takes the U2000 seat for his own team
The WR Chess Roster — Ten Names, One Banner
WR Chess arrives in Hong Kong with a line-up few teams in the history of the sport could rival — current and former World Champions, World Championship challengers, a serving statesman, and the founder himself at the amateur board.
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) — World No. 1 and the most dominant chess player in modern history. Five-time World Champion, multi-time World Rapid and World Blitz Champion, and the highest-rated player to ever sit at a board.
Fabiano Caruana (USA) — The man who pushed Carlsen to twelve straight draws in the 2018 World Championship final and remains a permanent fixture at the very top of the world rankings. The strongest American grandmaster of his generation.
Wesley So (USA) — Fischer Random World Champion and three-time U.S. Champion, celebrated for a positional clarity few in the world can match. One of the most respected technical players on tour.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) — Former World Blitz Champion and one of the most feared attacking minds in elite chess. France’s standard-bearer at the top board for more than a decade.
Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) — Chess World Cup winner and the player who famously ended Magnus Carlsen’s record-breaking 125-game unbeaten streak in classical chess. Poland’s first true superstar of the modern era.
Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland) — Former Women’s World Champion and one of the most recognisable ambassadors the game has ever produced. A grandmaster whose career has spanned three decades at the top.
Alexandra Goryachkina (Russia) — Women’s World Championship challenger and one of the most consistent forces in elite women’s chess. A grandmaster known for an iron will and ferocious end-game technique.
H.E. Mr Zandanshatar Gombojav (Mongolia) — The 34th Prime Minister of Mongolia and a passionate competitive player, bringing the gravitas of statecraft to the board and underscoring chess’s reach into the highest corridors of public life.
Wadim Rosenstein (Germany) — Team founder, Chairman of WR Group Holding, and one of the most committed private patrons in modern chess. This week, he occupies the U2000 board himself — the rarest sight in elite team chess.
Jan Gustafsson (Germany) — Team Captain. Grandmaster, longtime second to Magnus Carlsen in multiple World Championship matches, and one of the most respected strategic minds and broadcasters in the game.
What’s Next
Play begins tomorrow, 17 June, at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Wan Chai, with the world’s strongest clubs and federations clashing across rapid and blitz formats through 21 June. WR Chess will field its full line-up from Round 1.
Hashtag: #WRChess
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WR Chess
WR Chess is the elite club team founded by German entrepreneur Wadim Rosenstein under the WR Group Holding umbrella. Built to showcase the best minds in modern chess, the team unites reigning world-class grandmasters, rising prodigies, and global public figures under one banner — and competes at the world’s premier rapid and blitz events.
FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2026
Sanctioned by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the World Team Rapid & Blitz Championships gather the strongest chess clubs and federations on the planet for two of the sport’s most electrifying formats. The 2026 edition, held in Hong Kong from 17–21 June at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, features over 300 players from 50+ countries competing for a €500,000 prize fund.
CUHK’s Academic Excellence and Global Research Impact
CUHK’s academic rigour is further recognised in the 2026–27 Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report, where it ranks 28th globally and 5th in Asia, remaining Hong Kong’s top university for the fourth consecutive year. The University features 15 subjects in the global top 50, including five in the top 10, such as Education and Educational Research (#1), Gastroenterology and Hepatology (#2), Computer Science (#7), and Arts and Humanities and Artificial Intelligence (both ranked #9).
CUHK: Where Bold Ideas Become Impactful Research
CUHK provides an exceptional environment for impactful research, supported by approximately 300 research institutes and centres, alongside four state key laboratories approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. Reflecting on the academic environment, Zhamilya Zhirenova, a PhD student in Biomedical Science from Kazakhstan, has deepened her expertise through her involvement with the Centre for Neuromusculoskeletal Restorative Medicine (CNRM), an InnoHK research centre CUHK established with Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet.
Unlike traditional research pathways, where students are often confined to a single university laboratory, Zhamilya gained extensive experience at Hong Kong Science Park, a dynamic setting that closely resembles industry. “It feels more like an industrial company,” she reflected, “and that experience has been invaluable.” For researchers with ambitions beyond academia, such early exposure to the pace and expectations of the biotech industry provides a distinct advantage.
Nurturing the Next Generation of Scientific Innovators
Many of CUHK’s scholars are globally renowned experts who have made significant breakthroughs in their respective fields. These experts provide valuable mentorship, cultivating an intellectually stimulating environment for innovative research.
At the Centre for Novostics, an InnoHK research centre dedicated to advancing molecular diagnostics, Yasine Malki, a Chemical Pathology PhD student from Hong Kong, highlighted mentorship as a defining aspect of his experience at CUHK. Benefiting from the mentorship of Professor Dennis Lo, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, and a pioneer in molecular diagnostics, Yasine collaborates with specialists in molecular technologies, bioinformatics, and clinician-scientists, exemplifying CUHK’s dynamic, multidisciplinary approach to medical science.
Through the latest global rankings, CUHK continues to demonstrate the impact of its research and scholarship. The University offers robust financial support to attract top-tier global talent, such as the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) for the 2027–28 intake, which provides over HK$1.81 million (approximately US$232,420) in funding. Applications open on 1 September 2026.
Hashtag: #CUHK
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About CUHK
Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a leading comprehensive research university with a global reputation and world-leading rankings. Located in the heart of Asia, CUHK has a vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. The University has eight faculties: Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science, and Social Science. Together with the Graduate School, the University offers over 300 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. All faculties are actively engaged in research in a wide range of disciplines, with an array of research institutes and research centres specialising in interdisciplinary research of the highest quality.
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HKDL’s Immersive Interactive Experiences Win Guests’ Hearts Lucky Nugget Spin at Grizzly Gulch Surpasses 30,000 Participations
Immersive experiences fuel collectible merchandise craze and extend magical memories
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 July 2026 – In tune with the growing popularity of experiential travel and guests’ desire for participation and immersive experiences throughout their journeys, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL) has been integrating retail with storytelling at the park through an endless flow of innovative interactive experiences and distinctive merchandise offerings. Emotional connections with guests are strengthened as merchandise is transformed into meaningful souvenirs interwoven with their Disney memories.
Launched in April this year at Grizzly Gulch, the Chip ‘n’ Dale Lucky Nugget Spin has recorded more than 30,000 participations as of the end of June, becoming one of the park’s most popular activities. Combining storytelling, live interactions, and surprises, the experience has been warmly received by guests and has further enhanced the atmosphere throughout the land.
David Koo, director of merchandise at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, shared: ‘Today’s guests are looking for more than products; they want keepsakes that capture the stories and memories of their visit. Through interactive experiences, we hope to make merchandise a natural extension of the Disney park journey. Whether it is a plush toy, a pin or an accessory, the true value lies not only in the item itself, but in the magical moments and personal memories it represents.’
David Koo, director of merchandise at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, is pictured in the center
This story- and interaction-driven strategy has been incorporated into various guest experiences across the resort. For example, in an engaging experience at the Popcorn Pop-Up Shop on Main Street, U.S.A., guests can reach into a giant popcorn bucket-themed installation to catch a “popcorn” and reveal the hidden Pixar pals plushie together with Disney cast members on the spot. Meanwhile, the Snow White Grotto, located beside the Castle of Magical Dreams, has introduced a new “Lock of Dreams” experience, offering guests a sense of ceremony and a souvenir to cherish.
Disney’s Classic Pin Trading Tradition Extends the Magic Beyond the Visit
Disney’s iconic Pin Trading tradition has long been an important part of how guests explore the park and connect with others. Reopened in June, Main Street Collectibles now features dedicated pin display areas designed to celebrate and elevate this beloved tradition. Guests can discover unexpected treasures while searching for favorite designs as they trade pins with Disney cast members and fellow collectors. More than just an addition to a collection, each pin carries unique memories and extends the guest journey.
More Than 3.5 Million 20th Anniversary Merchandise Items Snapped up
New Pixar and Marvel Experiences on the Way
Merchandise sales grew continuously during Hong Kong Disneyland’s 20th anniversary celebrations, which attracted a large number of local, mainland, and international visitors and concluded with fanfare in June. Since late June last year, the resort has sold more than 3.5 million 20th Anniversary-themed merchandise. Among them, about 600,000 units of the SouvenEARS collection have been snapped up. Meanwhile, the blind-box series inspired by attractions and themed lands achieved sales of more than 500,000 units during fiscal year 2025, demonstrating the continued popularity of merchandise with strong storytelling elements and collectible appeal.
Looking ahead, HKDL will continue to enrich the guest experience across the resort. New Pixar-themed and Marvel-themed experiences will be introduced, further expanding both entertainment and retail offerings. Through ongoing innovation, HKDL remains committed to meeting guests’ demand for more immersive experiences, enhancing its appeal to local, mainland, and international visitors, and strengthening its position as a leading travel destination in the region.
Hashtag: #HongKongDisneylandResort
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The HR Asia Awards are among Asia’s most prestigious annual human resources awards, recognizing organizations that demonstrate excellence in workplace culture and sustainable people development. Winners are evaluated using the TEAM (Total Engagement Assessment Model), which measures employee engagement, organizational trust, and workplace experience, drawing on benchmarking data from more than 2.5 million employees across 20,000 organizations throughout the region.
According to the independent assessment conducted for the HR Asia Awards 2026, Green SM significantly outperformed market benchmarks in the “Best Companies to Work for in Asia” category, achieving outstanding scores across several key dimensions, including technology enablement in the workplace (4.8/5), workplace sustainability (4.71/5), and diversity, equity, and inclusion (4.72/5).
A defining element of Green SM’s workplace culture is its unwavering commitment to the principle that “Every Voice Counts.” This commitment is embedded through comprehensive employee engagement initiatives, including regular internal surveys, 360-degree performance evaluations, and multiple feedback channels that transform employee insights into tangible improvements in policies, workplace practices, and operational excellence.
At Green SM, talent development is viewed not merely as an HR function but as a strategic driver of service excellence. The Company continues to invest comprehensively in recruitment, professional training, operational standardization, workplace culture, and structured career development pathways for its Green Drivers. In parallel, Green SM delivers continuous capability-building programs for managers and employees, combining practical learning with digital learning platforms to strengthen leadership and management capabilities and organizational agility in an evolving business environment.
Alongside its investment in people, Green SM has been progressively building a unified organizational culture across its international markets. Rooted in values established in Vietnam while embracing the diversity of local cultures and communities, the Company fosters an environment that encourages collaboration, continuous learning, and empowerment. This enables teams across different countries to uphold consistent service standards while remaining responsive to the unique needs of local customers and communities.
Green SM also received the Technology Empowerment Awards in recognition of its continued digital transformation in human resource management. Through the digitalization of HR processes, the development of competency frameworks, the expansion of digital learning ecosystems, and the integration of data-driven people management, the Company has streamlined repetitive administrative tasks, enhanced decision-making efficiency, and enabled employees to devote greater focus to innovation, customer experience, and superior service delivery.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Global Chief Executive Officer of Green SM, said: “Our people have always been the cornerstone of Green SM’s sustainable growth. We believe that when individuals are empowered by technology and united by shared values, our teams across every market can deliver exceptional experiences for our customers. These two awards affirm the direction we have taken and further strengthen our commitment to building a truly multinational organization with its roots in Vietnam.”
In 2026, Green SM aims to expand its global workforce and partner network to approximately 400,000 people worldwide. As the Company continues to accelerate its international expansion, it will further invest in talent development and technology-driven people management to build a highly capable global workforce, maintain consistent service excellence across markets, and advance its vision of becoming the world’s leading green mobility platform.
Hashtag: #GreenSM
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