World Senior Team Championship heats up, reaching midpoint
The battles have intensified in both sections of the World Senior Team Championship as the event has reached its halfway mark. In the 50+ category, going into Round 5, Kazakhstan, USA 1, Italy, and England 1 shared first place with 7 team points each (three wins and one draw). Round 5 featured key matchups on the top boards, with USA 1 facing England 1, while Kazakhstan took on Italy. Both encounters were crucial in the fight for the lead. After a long five-hour battle, USA 1 wrested victory by a score of 2.5–1.5, while Italy joined them in 1st place after narrowly defeating Kazakhstan by the same margin. Senior 50+ – Standings after Round 5 Similarly, in the 65+ category, the situation was also unclear prior to Round 5, as six teams were tied for 1st place: FIDE team, England 1, Germany, Italy, Israel, and France I, each with 7 team points. In the 5th round, the top contestants were pitted against each other. Matches between Israel and England 1, as well as between the FIDE team and Italy, both ended in draws, giving France 1 the sole lead with 9 team points after their victory over Germany. Although the women’s categories have been merged with the Open sections due to an insufficient number of participants, the ladies have delivered strong and competitive performances in both groups. In the 50+ section, Kazakhstan Women, with three wins and one loss, stood in joint 5th place going into Round 5, while Czech Republic Women, USA Women, and England Women shared 14th–20th place alongside several other teams. In Round 5, the Kazakhstan Women’s team was paired against one of the top seeds, Alkaloid Chess Club, and lost. The Czech Republic women’s team joined them with 6 team points in shared 8th–13th position after beating Brazil 1. The USA and England women’s teams were paired together and drew their match, remaining on 5 team points. In the 65+ section, FIDE Women led the women’s race before Round 5 with 5 team points, sharing 15th–20th place, followed by Latvia Women and Germany Women, both on 4 team points, while Poland Women had a difficult start, losing four matches. In Round 5, all women’s teams except one were defeated by their respective opponents, while Poland Women managed to secure a draw, resulting in no changes to their standings. Following the 5th round comes the long-awaited free day, with options for organised excursions around Durrës and Berat, as well as participation in an open rapid tournament. After this break, the players will return refreshed and well-rested for the final portion of the competition and the decisive last rounds. Stay tuned for the exciting finish! Text and photos: WFM/IA Georgia Grapsa Official website: https://wstcc.com/
FIDE opens applications for Olympiad Training Support Program 2026
FIDE is pleased to invite federations to apply for the Olympiad Training Support Program ahead of the 46th Chess Olympiad 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This well-established and highly regarded initiative has earned strong appreciation from participating federations. Building on its success, the 2026 edition is delivered within the framework of cooperation between FIDE and Freedom Holding Corp., aimed at supporting developing chess nations. A total of over 100 federations across FIDE development levels 3, 4, and 5 are eligible to apply for this year’s program. Participating federations will benefit from a structured preparation program delivered in two phases: Online phase: Each team will receive up to 10 hours of training conducted by professional coaches selected by the FIDE Trainers Program. On-site phase: During the Olympiad, federations will receive co-financing for the presence of their assigned coach. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich emphasizes the importance of the program: “Over the past editions, the Olympiad Training Support Program has proven to be an impactful and widely appreciated initiative. It demonstrates FIDE’s commitment to supporting developing federations and ensuring that players have access to professional preparation. We are pleased to further expand this program in cooperation with Freedom Holding Corp. and look forward to another successful edition in 2026.” Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., added: “Supporting developing chess federations is an investment in the future of the game. Access to high-quality training and professional guidance helps unlock talent in regions where opportunities may be limited, creating a more inclusive and competitive global chess community. We are proud to contribute to this initiative together with FIDE.” Federations in development levels 3, 4, and 5 wishing to participate must confirm their interest in both the online and on-site phases and indicate their preferred language of instruction no later than May 22, 2026. Based on the number of applications and development levels, the FIDE Trainers Commission will design and allocate training resources accordingly. Olympiad Training Support Application Form (for Federations): https://formdesigner.pro/form/view/243554 FIDE-licensed trainers interested in supporting participating teams are also invited to apply by May 15, 2026. Olympiad Trainer Application Form (for Trainers): https://formdesigner.pro/form/view/243553 Eligible federations: Chess Development Level 5 Federations Antigua and BarbudaBurundiBhutanBelizeBurkina FasoCentral African RepublicCambodiaChadCameroonDemocratic Republic of the CongoComoros IslandsDjiboutiDominicaEritreaEthiopiaFijiGabonGambiaEquatorial GuineaGhanaGreenlandGrenadaGuineaIsle of ManBritish Virgin IslandsKiribatiLiberiaMacau, ChinaMarshall IslandsMaliNew CaledoniaNigerPapua New GuineaRwandaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth SudanSao Tome and PrincipeSudanSyriaTanzaniaTongaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesYemen Chess Development Level 4 Federations Brunei DarussalamCote d’IvoireHaitiHong Kong, ChinaJapanSaudi ArabiaKuwaitLibyaLesothoMauritaniaNamibiaNepalOmanPalestineSaint Kitts and NevisWales Chess Development Level 3 Federations Netherlands AntillesAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaArubaAustraliaBahamasBangladeshBermudaBoliviaBotswanaBahrainCayman IslandsChileCape VerdeCyprusDominican RepublicEgyptEl SalvadorFaroe IslandsGuernseyGuatemalaGuamGuyanaHondurasIraqUS Virgin IslandsJamaicaJerseyJordanKenyaSouth KoreaKosovo*LaosLebanonSaint LuciaMadagascarMoroccoMalawiMaldivesNorth MacedoniaMaltaMozambiqueMauritiusMyanmarNicaraguaNigeriaNauruNew ZealandPakistanPanamaPalauPuerto RicoQatarScotlandSan MarinoSri LankaSurinameEswatiniThailandTajikistanTimor-LesteTogoChinese TaipeiTunisiaUgandaVanuatuZambiaZimbabwe
World University Team Chess Championship: Registration deadline extended
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the strong interest in the tournament from universities worldwide, and considering that additional time is required to complete all stages of the registration process, it has been decided to extend the registration period. The new deadline for applications is April 29, 2026, 11:59 PM (UTC). The best university teams will meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this August to compete for the title of FIDE World University Team Chess Champion. The World University Team Chess Championship is governed by FIDE and organized by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, together with the Almaty city administration and with support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Sports and Tourism. The competition has three stages. It begins with Online Swiss Qualifiers, followed by an Online Knockout stage. The over-the-board finals will then take place in Almaty from August 3–10, 2026. There will be two Online Swiss Qualifiers. The registration deadlines are: April 29, 2026, 11:59 PM UTC for teams participating in Online Swiss Qualifier 1 May 4, 2026, 11:59 PM UTC for teams participating in Online Swiss Qualifier 2 The finals will feature 16 teams – eight that qualify from the knockout stage and eight wild cards invited by FIDE and the organizer. The tournament features an inclusive team concept – each match will be played on four boards, and lineups must include at least one female and at least one male player. Participation is open to university teams with players born between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2008 who are currently enrolled in at least one class at the university. The winning team will become the FIDE World University Team Champion and receive a prize of €25,000. The team finishing second will be awarded €15,000, while the third-place team will receive €10,000. The entry fee is €100 per team. However, each national chess federation may nominate one university to participate free of charge. Payment details will be published on the tournament website. Team registration is available here: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com Among the registered teams there are many well-known universities, including: Universidad de El Salvador The University of Texas at Dallas University of Auckland Riga Technical University Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) The Egyptian Chinese University Universiti Malaya University of Dhaka Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Webster University Samarkand State Pedagogical Institute École Polytechnique de Ouagadougou For more information, please email worlduniversity@fide.com. Official website: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com