FIDE has selected Istanbul, Turkey as the host city for the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in 2026. The event will run during the final week of December, maintaining the tradition of holding these competitions at year's end. Freedom Holding Corp. will serve as the title sponsor for the championships.

FIDE President Timur Turlov, who is also the founder of the sponsoring company, praised Turkey's track record in organizing major chess competitions. He highlighted the country's contributions to the growth of chess globally and acknowledged the support of the Turkish Chess Federation and its partners.

The World Rapid and Blitz Championships represent the highest level of competition in fast time controls and draw top players from around the world. Magnus Carlsen holds the defending titles in the Open section after winning both events in the previous year. In the Women's section, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Bibisara Assaubayeva are the reigning champions in Rapid and Blitz respectively.