The inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship Finals continued on Wednesday in Almaty as the battle for the knockout stage intensified, with university teams from around the world fighting for every point.
Following another day of intense competition across the four pools, the championship once again highlighted the unique connection between elite chess, higher education, and international friendship.
Before the start of play, the ceremonial first move was made by FIDE General Secretary Łukasz Turlej and President and Delegate of the Malaysian Chess Federation Akramshah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi, accompanied by the Executive Director of the Kazakhstan chess federation Gulmira Dauletova, officially launching another exciting day of university chess.
The championship also provided an opportunity to showcase Kazakhstan’s long-term commitment to chess in education. Addressing participants, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan Sayasat Nurbek underlined the country’s vision:
“Today, more than 1,500 schools across Kazakhstan teach chess as part of their curriculum, and 36 universities have already integrated chess into higher education. Chess has become part of the educational journey in Kazakhstan – from primary school to university.”
The Minister also emphasized that Kazakhstan sees chess as a key part of developing future generations, making it one of the pillars of the country’s national education strategy.
Throughout the day, participants shared how chess has shaped both their academic and personal journeys.
Representing the University of Cambridge, Emilia Mezykowska explained that her own chess story began in the classroom.
“I actually started playing chess at school through Poland’s ‘Education for Chess at School’ programme. That’s where I learned the rules and played my first tournaments.”
Now studying engineering at Cambridge, she believes chess continues to play an important role in her education.
“I study engineering, and chess definitely helps with concentration and logical thinking, especially in STEM subjects.”
For Davin Yin of Harvard University, the championship has also been an opportunity to experience Kazakhstan for the first time.
“I’m really loving Kazakhstan. The people here are wonderful, there’s so much to see and do, and it’s been great sharing this experience with my teammates.”
Reflecting on balancing university life with competitive chess, he added:
“Studying and chess are all about planning your time well – making sure you have time for classes, homework, and the things you enjoy.”
IM Anna Sargsyan, representing Webster University, spoke about the challenges student-athletes face while pursuing excellence both academically and over the chessboard.
“Balancing university studies with competitive chess is very difficult. During the academic year, it’s hard to find enough time for both.”
With a master’s degree ahead of her, she acknowledged that finding the right balance will remain an important part of her future.
The battle for the knockout stage intensified on Day Two as Rounds 3 and 4 concluded in Almaty. With just one day of the group stage remaining, three teams have already secured first place in their respective pools, while several others have booked their places in the quarterfinals.
Pool A: Ural State Mining University kept the lead, defeating Unimelb 4-0 in both rounds to secure first place in the group with one day to spare. Harvard University strengthened its hold on second after recording back-to-back 3-1 victories over Peking University.
Pool B: Saint Louis University continued its dominant run, sweeping the University of Pretoria 4-0 in both matches to clinch top spot in the group. Webster University and Universidad de Chile shared the points twice, drawing both encounters 2-2, leaving the Chilean team in second place.
Pool C: The University of Texas at Dallas is leading with victories over the National Technical University of Athens, winning 3-1 before edging the return match 2½-1½. Almaty Management University stays in contention with a 2½-1½ victory over Cambridge before drawing the second match 2-2, keeping the race for second place alive until the final day.
Pool D: KNUS underlined its title ambitions by defeating Oxford University 3½-½ before completing a 4-0 sweep in the return match. Host team KazNU Al-Farabi kept pace with two strong performances against Universitas Gunadarma, winning 4-0 in Round 3 and 2½-1½ in Round 4 to remain firmly in contention for the knockout stage.
With just one day of the group stage remaining, Ural State Mining University, Harvard University, Saint Louis University, The University of Texas at Dallas and KNUS have already secured their places in the quarterfinals.
The race for the remaining three knockout spots is still wide open. Universidad de Chile will look to confirm second place in Pool B, while in Pool C, National Technical University of Athens, Almaty Management University and Cambridge all remain in contention. In Pool D, host team KazNU al-Farabi will battle Universitas Gunadarma for the second qualifying berth, with both sides still in the hunt for a place in the quarterfinals.
Away from the university championship, the day also marked the conclusion of the Kazakhstan vs. the World Youth Chess Match, bringing together some of the world’s most promising young talents.
After two days of exciting competition, Team Kazakhstan claimed victory in the boys’ match, while Team World emerged victorious in the girls’ competition.
Representing Team Kazakhstan, GM Edgar Mammedov described the event as an unforgettable experience.
“It was an intense match. We were playing one of the strongest teams, and for me it was a rematch against the reigning World Under-18 Champion.”
Looking ahead, he expressed his excitement about the university championship itself.
“I’m really excited that the first FIDE World University Team Championship is taking place in Kazakhstan. I am following this event, and I’m very happy to see it happen here. When I become a university student, I hope I’ll also have the chance to represent my university team. I think it will be a great experience.”
For WCM Zhihan Chen of Team World, the event was equally memorable.
“I am glad to be here and I enjoy playing chess!”
With the group stage continuing tomorrow, the battle for qualification remains wide open, promising another exciting day of world-class university chess.
Results after Round 4 of the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship:
https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1468184.aspx?lan=1&art=0&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0
Results of the Youth Chess Match Kazakhstan vs. the World Youth Chess Match:
https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1469045.aspx?lan=1&art=0&SNode=S0
Official website: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com/