Opening moves in Alexandria: World Schools Team Championship 2025 begins
The World Schools Team Championship 2025 officially got underway at Episcopal High School, located in the historic city of Alexandria, just outside Washington, D.C. A flagship event in the global scholastic chess calendar, the tournament brings together hundreds of students representing nearly 50 countries. While the players are here to compete for international glory, the championship is equally a celebration of friendship, diversity, and shared passion for the game of chess. With participants ranging from unrated newcomers to seasoned International Masters, the tournament features a remarkable mix of talent and potential. This variety has already led to a wide spectrum of exciting games in the early rounds. At the top of the starting rankings is Kazakhstan’s National School of Physics and Mathematics, led by newly titled Grandmaster Edgar Mamedov, with a formidable average rating of 2229. Close behind is India’s Velammal MHS School, averaging 2210. The host country, the United States, is represented by four schools. Leading the American contingent is University High School, which holds third place in the starting rankings with an average team rating of 2003. The tournament’s first round began promptly at 11:30. Ceremonial first moves were made on the top four boards by distinguished guests: FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International School Chess Federation Timur Turlov, Minister of Educational Transformation of Barbados Hon. Chad Blackman, and Minister of Sport and Recreation of Costa Rica Donald Rojas Fernández. In the opening round, the top-seeded teams performed as expected, securing confident victories over their lower-ranked opponents. However, the second round saw the competition intensify as more closely matched teams faced off across the boards. By the end of the day, 11 teams secured wins in both rounds and concluded Day 1 with a perfect score of 4 match points. KAZ – National School of Physics and MathematIND – Velammal MHS SchoolENG – HamptonKAZ – Seed Educational ComplexNZL – Wellington CollegeSRI – Royal College, ColomboKAZ – Astana 2 RSPMUSA – The Harker SchoolSGP – Raffles InstitutionGRE – 1st General Lyceum of XanthiAUT – Privates Gymnasium Sacre Coeur Wien Moment of the day SUI – Kantonsschule Alpenquai Luzern SGP vs Raffles InstitutionBoard 4: Infanger, Philip vs Loh, Yang Hao Our moment of the day comes from board 4 in the match between Singapore’s Raffles Institution and Switzerland’s Kantonsschule Alpenquai Luzern. The match delivered one of the day’s biggest surprises, as the 19th-seeded Raffles Institution defeated the fifth seed by a commanding 3:1 score. The spotlight moment unfolded in a tense endgame after a rollercoaster battle where both sides had chances. In the critical position, White played 60.Kd5??, a decisive mistake that allowed Black to break through with 60…Kg6 61.Ke5 h5 62.gxh5 Kxh5. With the white king cut off, it could no longer stop Black’s advancing passed pawn, especially with the black king perfectly placed to shepherd it forward. Instead, the correct move was 60.Kf3, keeping the white king in front of the pawns, and ready for opposition – a key principle in pawn endgames. One possible line would be 60…Kg6 61.Kg3 h5 62.gxh5 Kxh5 63.Kh3, where the white king maintains opposition, denying Black any meaningful progress. Rounds 3 and 4 will be played on Monday, August 4, and after eight rounds, the tournament champions will be crowned on August 6. As the competition continues, so does this unique celebration of youth, talent, and international friendship through chess. Photos: Michal Walusza Official website: worldschoolteam2025.fide.com/