A record 92 technology companies and more than 350 players took part in the Tech Gambit 2026 championship, the fifth consecutive edition of the Israeli high-tech chess league. The tournament concluded with a tense final held at the offices of fintech company Intuit, with cybersecurity firm Zscaler serving as co-sponsor. Apple retained its championship title for a second consecutive year, finishing ahead of Matrix in second place and Nvidia in third. The tournament was founded by international chess master Alon Mindlin, founder of TechMate, who said the idea stemmed from identifying deep structural similarities between chess and the tech industry. Participants described the atmosphere as having "a lot of adrenaline and excitement," noting cognitive parallels between chess and engineering work, including planning ahead, working under pressure, and structured thinking.