San José opens the board: WSTC American Continental Stage kicks off
The American Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 began today at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari in San José, the first time the championship has come to Central America. 29 school teams have travelled here from 25 countries, from Canada to Argentina and across the Caribbean, each of them playing for a place in the Grand Final later this year. The stage falls within the Year of Chess in Education and is supported by Freedom Holding Corp. and the Costa Rican Institute of Sport and Recreation (ICODER). Format Each team fields four main players and one reserve, with both boys and girls represented. The tournament follows an eight-round Swiss system, with a time control of 45 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move from move one. Competitive play begins in the coming days; the opening day was given over to ceremony, dialogue and getting to know one another. At the top of the starting rankings is Peru’s Saco Oliveros de Lince (average rating 1889), followed by the USA’s Harvest Park Middle School and Canada’s Crescent Heights Academy. The host country, Costa Rica, is represented by three schools, led by Colegio Bilingüe San Francisco de Asís. Here is a closer look at the day’s action. A special opening ceremony The championship opened at 10:00 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari. Following the guests’ registration, the Costa Rican national anthem and the FIDE anthem, three officials took to the stage, but not to deliver speeches. Instead, José Antonio Carrillo Pujol (President, FIDE Americas, CCA), Timur Turlov (President of the ISCF and CEO of Freedom Holding) and Luis Eduardo Quirós Rojas (President of the Costa Rican Chess Federation) opened a message from the young players of the African Continental Stage, part of a growing tradition in which the children of one stage pass the chess relay on to the next. This time the African players sent not ordinary letters but a “package”, unwrapped on screen item by item. Inside were several small symbolic gifts, each carrying a wish, a piece of advice, and a dose of humour: a chess compass, a flashlight, a magnet, an AA battery, a salt shaker of “lightness,” and an extra, empty suitcase. As each official opened a gift, the children’s words set a warm and personal tone for the week ahead. Opening the “compass,” Timur Turlov read: “We are sending you a chess compass. It does not point north or south. It points in the direction of your next good move… We wish everyone to find their own direction at this championship and make at least one move that takes you where you truly want to go.” Opening the “flashlight,” José Antonio Carrillo Pujol read: “Sometimes the position seems dark and unclear, and all the moves are like in a fog. Then take the flashlight and look at the board from a different angle… Sometimes the best move is visible only in semi-darkness, when your eyes have adjusted and are not distracted by flickering.” Unwrapping the “magnet,” Luis Eduardo Quirós Rojas read: “The magnet doesn’t work from fear. If you are nervous and fidgety, it repels everything good. But if you breathe evenly and trust your calculation, it pulls the right moments toward you… The main thing – don’t bring the magnet near your rating. It doesn’t attract that. Only your mood and attention.” The final card left the young players with a thought to carry through the week: “You are not just participants. You are part of a great chess story that began long before you and will continue after you. Happy playing, champions!” The ceremony closed with the symbolic first move, made by Timur Turlov (President of the ISCF and CEO of Freedom Holding) and José Antonio Carrillo Pujol (President, FIDE Americas – CCA), officially declaring the American Continental Stage open. Round 1 The opening round saw a predictable start. Seven of the thirteen matches finished 4-0, which is common enough on the first day of a school team event, where the seeding gap between the top and the bottom of the field is at its widest. Top seed Saco Oliveros de Lince swept Costa Rica’s Colegio Bilingüe San Francisco de Asís, and Harvest Park Middle School did the same to Paraguay’s Colegio Cristo Rey. The result of the round came on board five, where Queen’s College of Barbados, seeded 18th, beat Mexico’s Colegio Celta Internacional 3-1. Mexico took the top board through CM Fernando Cortes Medina, but Queen’s College won the other three, with Jaeda Herbert and Nathan Simmons-Patterson both beating higher-rated opponents. It was a difficult start for the hosts. None of the three Costa Rican schools won. San Francisco de Asís was swept by Peru, Colegio Humboldt lost 1-3 to Saint Gabriel’s School of Chile with only Nicolás Ramírez Quirós scoring, and the British School took the day’s only drawn match, holding Colegio Madre del Divino Pastor of El Salvador 2-2. Position of Round 1 Board one of the top match produced the finish of the round. Marcos Beltrán Meneses Morales of Saco Oliveros de Lince, playing White, helped his team to their 4-0 sweep with a game he had taken control of in the opening. White is winning here and has several good continuations, but the young Peruvian found the most attractive one: 20.d5! opening the b2 bishop’s diagonal towards the black king on g7 and setting up a discovered check the moment the knight on f6 moves. In such overwhelming positions it is easy to rush; instead, White brought another piece into the attack. The game continued 20…cxd5 21.Nxd5+ Kh6, and White wrapped it up with 22.Qc1+ Kg6 23.Qg5#, the queen protected by the knight on f3 and every escape square covered. Round 2 Round 2 produced the upset the opening round had not. Top seed Saco Oliveros de Lince was held to 2-2 by Colombus American School of Colombia, who won both of the top boards: William Nicolás Rodríguez beat Marcos Beltrán Meneses Morales,
Smart Moves Americas: Governments That Think Ahead
While the first moves were being made at the World Schools Team Championship, a second conversation was taking place a short distance away. At the Cariari Country Club in Heredia, ministers of education and sport, government officials, federation presidents and school leaders from across the Americas gathered for “Smart Moves Americas: Governments That Think Ahead”, the ISCF and CCA conference on chess as public policy. Costa Rica was a natural place to hold the conversation. In 2022 the country passed Law No. 10187, establishing chess instruction in public schools as a matter of national significance, and the current Chess in Education 2026 initiative has taken that statute into practice with a pilot programme in ten government schools, supported by FIDE, the CCA and the Ministry of Public Education. From vision to national action The programme opened with a high-level panel on turning educational policy into practice: – Jeffry Mauricio Umaña Avendaño, First Gentleman of Costa Rica – Leonardo Sánchez Hernández, Minister of Public Education, Costa Rica – María Alexandra Ulate Espinoza, Academic Vice Minister, Ministry of Public Education (MEP), Costa Rica – Timur Turlov, President of the ISCF and CEO of Freedom Holding – José Antonio Carrillo Pujol, President, FIDE Americas (CCA) – Mendy Aráuz Silva, Minister of Education of the Republic of Nicaragua – Dalila Beatriz Beltrán de Menjívar, National Director of School Coexistence, MINEDUCYT, El Salvador Mendy Aráuz Silva described how Nicaragua has built chess into public education as a pedagogical tool rather than an extracurricular one. In 2026 the country reopened 2,503 primary school and 825 secondary school chess clubs, involving 41,688 students. It distributed 10,000 methodological guides and 1,700 chess kits and now trains teachers, advisers and instructors nationwide. The case she made for it was not competitive but cognitive and social: logical thinking, concentration, discipline and respectful coexistence. Dalila Beatriz Beltrán de Menjívar took a similar line from El Salvador, presenting chess as a tool that goes well beyond competition. In her account it belongs in the school as a way of strengthening coexistence and the values that hold a classroom together, among them respect, self-control, empathy and the peaceful resolution of conflict, with plans to widen the programme to more schools and communities across the country. “Chess in Education” School Awards The panel was followed by the “Chess in Education” School Awards, recognising schools leading the way in chess education. The honours went to GSD International School Costa Rica in La Guácima, Alajuela; to Escuela Lepanto in the Peninsular regional education directorate; and to Escuela Las Lagunas in Pérez Zeledón. They were presented by Luis Eduardo Quirós Rojas, President of the Costa Rican Chess Federation, together with Timur Turlov. The conference also saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among the participating ministries, FIDE, the ISCF and the CCA, setting out a shared roadmap for chess in education across the region. Playing the long game The dialogue continued with a round table on what it takes for a programme to last beyond a single administration: – Mauricio Arias Santana, moderator – Robert McLellan, Interim Executive Director, National Scholastic Chess Foundation – Andrea Marshall-Harris, International Director, Barbados Chess Federation – Milagros Ibáñez, General Director of Complementary Education, Municipality of Vicente López, Argentina – Dilda Nauryzbayeva, Director of Educational Projects, International School Chess Federation One board, millions of classrooms. The programme closed with a panel on scaling chess as an educational tool: – Dr. Amelia Hernández, moderator – Natalia Lobo, President of the Education Commission, Costa Rican Chess Federation – Marta Amigó Vilalta, Coordinator of the “Chess in School” project, Catalonia – Mery Lizbeth Del Carmen Ceballos Rodríguez, Co-founder, Chess Logistic Speaking at the conference, ISCF President Timur Turlov tied the championship’s purpose to Costa Rica’s own history: “Almost 80 years ago, Costa Rica did something unthinkable: it abolished its army and sent that money to schools and hospitals. This country bet on something stronger than any weapon, on an educated person. Today we continue that same conversation, with a sharper question: what exactly should a school teach so that a child grows up thinking? Our answer is right here, at these boards.” The organisers set out the aim of the day as a shared roadmap for expanding chess in education across the Americas, supported by new partnerships, practical priorities and coordinated regional action. The American continental stage of the World Schools Team Championship continues at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari, where the teams these policies are written for were spending the day at the boards.
FIDE EVE World Championships 2028-2029: Call for bids
FIDE Events Commission announces the Call for Bids for all FIDE World Championships 2028 and 2029 and invites all FIDE member federations to participate in the bidding process. Please be advised that the FIDE Council has approved significant changes to the structure of certain youth competitions, effective from 2026. The full and current versions of all relevant regulations for the competitions included in this Call for Bids are provided via the links in this document. It is the responsibility of each bidding federation to ensure that their bids are fully compliant with the applicable regulations. The submission deadline for formal bids is 25 September 2026, at 15:00 CET. However, national federations may, by 10 September 2026, send a preliminary indication of their preferred event(s) to the Commission’s official email address: fideevents@fide.com. Such early notifications serve as a non-binding expression of interest and do not require the submission of full bidding dossiers at that stage. They will, however, assist the FIDE Events Commission in the preliminary planning and coordination of the bidding process. Competitions for 2028 (14 events): FIDE World Senior Team FIDE World Senior Individual (50+ and 65+) FIDE World Rapid and Blitz U8–U18 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz U7–U17 FIDE World Amateur Championship FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz FIDE World Cup U8–U12 FIDE World Chess Championships U8–U12 FIDE World Cup U14–U18 FIDE World Chess Championships U14–U18 FIDE World Cup U7–U11 FIDE World Cup U13–U17 FIDE World Championship U20 FIDE TEAM U8 & U12 Competitions for 2029 (15 events): FIDE World Senior Team FIDE World Senior Individual (50+ and 65+) FIDE World Rapid and Blitz U8–U18 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz U7–U17 FIDE World Amateur Championship FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz FIDE World Cup U8–U12 FIDE World Chess Championships U8–U12 FIDE World Cup U14–U18 FIDE World Chess Championships U14–U18 FIDE World Cup U7–U11 FIDE World Cup U13–U17 FIDE World Championship U20 FIDE TEAM U8 & U12 FIDE Olympiad U16 Call for Bids 2028 (PDF) Call for Bids 2029 (PDF) General Calendar 2028-2029:https://events.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Calendar.pdf Detailed information about the bidding procedure – FIDE General Regulations:https://events.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/General-updated-1.pdf Dear bidders, here are more details about the procedure: Bidding Form and Bid Form Annex.
Gligoric Trophy 2026: Call for Nominations
FIDE is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the Svetozar Gligoric Trophy 2026. The Svetozar Gligoric Trophy is an award given by FIDE to the individual who displays exemplary behavior promoting the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship in chess. To be eligible for the Svetozar Gligorić Trophy 2026, candidates must have demonstrated the following accomplishments during the period from September 2024 to September 2026: – Outstanding gesture or action of sportsmanship during a sporting event. – Outstanding contribution to the popularization of values and principles of Fair Play. – Outstanding initiatives on enforcement of integrity and high ethical values. The Svetozar Gligoric Trophy recognizes sportsmen who exercise the fundamental values of fair play both during and beyond the game. It represents a mindset rather than mere behavior, rooted in the following concepts: Fairness – To enjoy the victory is not enough. Triumph must include fairness and honesty. Respect – Written rules are mandatory. Unwritten rules of respect to all are obligatory. Friendship – Rivalry in sports does not exclude friendship. Team Spirit – A genuine consideration for teammates. Equality – Competing on equal terms is essential. Tolerance – The willingness and ability to accept what you may not agree with. Care – True champions care about each other. Nomination procedures The winner of the Svetozar Gligoric Trophy is selected by the FIDE Gligoric Trophy Award Commission. Proposals for nominations (Nomination Letter) from Continental Federations, National Federations, and FIDE Commissions shall be submitted to the Gligoric Trophy Award Commission of FIDE at gligorictrophy@fide.com no later than September 10, 2026. Nominations from individuals, including self-nominations, are also allowed, but they should be channelled through the federation associated with the nominee. Please note that this award pertains solely to nominee’s accomplishments during the period September 2024 – September 2026 and is not a recognition of lifelong career accomplishments. The Commission’s decision is final and not subject to appeal. The members of the Commission are not required to give justification unless they choose to do so. The award ceremony will be held during the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Road to Weissenhaus 2027: Final qualification path confirmed
Three spots remain open in both the Open and Women’s FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championships. Hamburg/Weissenhaus, August 2026 – Freestyle Chess and FIDE have confirmed the remaining qualification path for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. Three places are still open in both the Open and Women’s fields. They will be awarded through the Freestyle Friday Championship, Open and Women’s online qualifiers in November 2026, and final Open and Women’s online qualifiers in January 2027. Freestyle Friday The next phase begins with Freestyle Friday Championship Part 2. It starts on October 2, 2026, and continues every Friday on Chess.com until December 4. Points earned during Freestyle Friday Part 1 carry over into Part 2. The best eligible players from the combined standings will qualify for the knockout stage, played on December 11 and December 18. The winner of the knockout stage in each field will qualify for the 2027 World Championship. Online Qualifier I The next online qualification stage will be held from November 29 to December 3, 2026, with separate qualifiers for the Open and Women’s fields. Each qualifier will award one World Championship spot. The format starts with an open Swiss tournament on November 29. A second Swiss tournament for titled players and the top eight finishers from the first Swiss will follow on November 30. The top 16 from the second Swiss will advance to the knockout stage on December 2 and 3. The winner of each final will qualify. Online Qualifier II The final online qualification stage will be held from January 3 to 7, 2027, again with separate qualifiers for the Open and Women’s fields. Each qualifier will award one final World Championship spot. The format follows the same structure: open Swiss, restricted Swiss, then a 16-player knockout. The winner of each final will complete the line-up in the respective field. Open to everyone not yet qualified All online qualifiers are open to players in the respective field who have not yet qualified for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. The first Swiss stage of each November and January qualifier is open to all players, titled or untitled. The second Swiss stage is open to all titled players – GM, WGM, IM, WIM, FM, and WFM – plus the top eight finishers from the first Swiss. The qualified players so far Five of the eight places are already confirmed in both fields. In the Open field, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vincent Keymer, and Pranav Venkatesh have qualified. Carlsen, Caruana, and Abdusattorov qualified through the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in Weissenhaus. Keymer secured his spot by winning the grenke Freestyle Chess Open 2026 in Karlsruhe. Pranav qualified through Freestyle Friday Championship Part 1 after finishing first in the standings with 60 points. In the Women’s field, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Harika Dronavalli, Alua Nurman, Dinara Wagner, and Anna Muzychuk have qualified. Assaubayeva qualified through the 2026 Freestyle Chess exhibition match in Weissenhaus. Harika, Nurman, and Wagner secured their places at the grenke Freestyle Chess Open 2026 in Karlsruhe. Muzychuk qualified through the Freestyle Friday Championship Part 1 after finishing first in the Women’s standings with 88 points. Weissenhaus 2027 The 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship will be held at Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort in northern Germany. The Women’s World Championship will take place from February 5 to 7, 2027. The Open World Championship will follow from February 12 to 14, 2027. By January 7, 2027, the full line-ups for both World Championship fields will be complete. Freestyle Chess official website: https://www.freestyle-chess.com/
DGT e-board operator seminar at the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026
Digital Game Technology B.V. (DGT), a company well-known in the chess world for providing innovative chess products such as electronic chessboards, computers and chess clocks, is organizing a DGT e-board seminar during the 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. Become a certified DGT e-Board operator! This seminar is intended for federations, arbiters, organizers, and anyone interested in learning how to operate a DGT e-Board. Held alongside the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan Two-morning on-site seminar Presented by international arbiters Arno Eliëns and Frans Peeters Venue: Silk Road Expo Complex Dates: September 17-18, 2026 Time: Mornings on both days Price: €50 Places are limited, so early registration is recommended. Prerequisites No prior knowledge or experience is required to participate in the DGT e-Board seminar. During the seminar, you will learn about: DGT e-Boards and e-Pieces: product overview and use cases Hardware setup, connections, and tournament preparation DGT LiveChess: setup, features, and daily operation Broadcasting live games: local, online, cloud, and platform integration Troubleshooting, advanced tips, and Q&A Upon completing the seminar, you will receive your official DGT Certification and become a certified DGT e-Board operator. The course will be conducted in English. Registration link
11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan crowned Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s champion at record-breaking British Chess Champs
17-year-old Grandmaster Shreyas Royal wins his first British Championship, while schoolgirl Sivanandan becomes the youngest British Women’s champ ever. Records tumbled at the biggest-ever British Chess Championships as the nine-day event at the University of Warwick, Coventry, ended with two record-breaking young superstars of the game winning the two top prizes. Seventeen-year-old Shreyas Royal scooped the overall British title. He topped the table after nine rounds, finishing half a point ahead of two of England’s more seasoned grandmasters, Luke McShane and nine-time champ Michael Adams. It was Royal’s first British title and the result underlined his status as an emerging world-class talent. Meanwhile, England’s 11-year-old prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, another superstar-in-the-making, became Britain’s youngest-ever Women’s Chess Champion. Her only loss in the tournament was to Royal in Round 6. In a tense, rapid-chess playoff between the top female players, Sivanandan defeated Ireland’s 14-year-old Trisha Kanyamarala, a hugely promising talent herself and the first Irishwoman to hold the WGM title. You can watch the finale here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPUcEyzHcN8 Grandmaster Danny Gormally, commentating on the event for the English Chess Federation, said in the closing moments: “Unreal! Bodhana has won. She is unbelievable, a generational talent.” Gormally went on to predict Sivanandan will return to challenge for the overall title in the next few years. Royal and Sivanandan’s victories provided a remarkable finale to the biggest British Chess Championship in the event’s 122-year history, with more than 2,600 entries across all events at the University of Warwick. For Royal, the title represents the latest major milestone in a remarkable rise through British chess. The 17-year-old from south-east London became Britain’s youngest-ever grandmaster in 2024 and has since established himself as one of the country’s leading young players. At this year’s championship, he quickly showed that he could compete with the established elite, moving into outright contention for the title as the tournament progressed. After seven rounds, Royal had taken the sole lead on 6/7, putting the teenager firmly at the center of the championship race. His performances against experienced opposition underlined his growing status at the top of British chess. Royal took a quick draw against English chess legend Adams in the penultimate round before a final-round win over International Master Harry Grieve secured him the title. Now Royal has converted his promise into his first British Championship title. Sivanandan’s achievement is equally extraordinary and, in one respect, unprecedented. The 11-year-old has become the youngest-ever British women’s champion after overcoming Kanyamarala in a playoff to take the title. In the faster formats of the game, Sivanandan is already the reigning UK Open Women’s Blitz Champion and joint British Women’s Rapid Champion. Victory in the classical event gives her an incredible triple crown of titles. Before the championship, Sivanandan had been identified as the player to watch, with organisers highlighting her chance to break the record held by Elaine Pritchard, who won the British Women’s Championship outright in 1939, aged 13. Akshaya Kalaiyalahan had subsequently shared the title in 2013 when she was just days short of her 12th birthday. Sivanandan has now surpassed them both. The north-west London player has spent the past year rewriting the record books and establishing herself among Britain’s strongest female players despite being only 11. She also produced one of the standout results of the championship by defeating Grandmaster Ameet Ghasi. Her playoff victory over Kanyamarala now adds the biggest domestic title yet to an already remarkable list of achievements. Royal and Sivanandan’s victories are particularly striking because both were among the young players attracting attention before the championship began, and both have left Warwick as British champions. Their success also reflects the changing face of British chess. The 2026 championships were billed as the biggest in the event’s 122-year history, with more than 1,750 entries and a record £34,000 prize fund for the open championship. The women’s prize fund was also more than doubled, while organisers expanded the festival programme with junior training, social events and competitions for players ranging from under-8s to seniors. The tournament brought together players across generations, from established grandmasters to some of Britain’s most promising juniors. And at the end, the two names at the top of the results were Royal and Sivanandan. Written by Leon Watson, English Chess Federation Photos: Yury Krylov, ECF Home Chess Development Director Official website: https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/
Ural State Mining University wins inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship
Ural State Mining University has been crowned champion of the inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship Finals, defeating Saint Louis University in Sunday’s final in Almaty. The final day of competition brought the championship down to its two decisive encounters: Ural State Mining University against Saint Louis University for the title and Kazakh National University of Sports against The University of Texas at Dallas for third place. Before the start of play, the ceremonial first move was made by Tursynzada Kuangaliyeva, Rector of the Kazakh National University of Sports, officially opening the final day of the championship. After five days of competition, only four of the original sixteen universities remained, with the championship title and the final place on the podium to be decided. Garifullina leads Ural to championship victory The opening match of the final between Ural State Mining University and Saint Louis University was closely contested across all four boards. The top three games ended in draws, with GMs Arseniy Nesterov and Aryan Chopra, Rudik Makarian and Bharath Subramaniyam, and Sergei Lobanov and Nikolozi Kacharava all splitting the point. The decisive result came on board four, where IM Leya Garifullina defeated WGM Thalia Cervantes Landeiro, giving Ural State Mining University a 2.5-1.5 victory and a narrow lead heading into the return match. The second match followed almost exactly the same pattern. Once again, the encounters on the first three boards ended in draws, leaving the outcome to Garifullina and Cervantes Landeiro. For the second time in the day, Garifullina won, delivering the decisive point and another 2.5-1.5 victory for Ural State Mining University. With a 5-3 overall score, Ural secured the title and became the first champion of the FIDE World University Team Championship Finals. Garifullina proved a decisive force in the final, scoring the only two victories across the eight individual games. Reflecting on the title, GM Arseniy Nesterov said: “It’s a great victory, especially considering our way through the tournament. We had some really challenging matches, particularly in the playoffs, so I’m very happy that we finally won. It’s always nice to win.” Nesterov also highlighted the support offered by his university in helping him combine higher education with professional chess. “It’s not easy to combine university with chess, but I’m very glad that the university supports us through its chess programme. If I want to go to a tournament, I’m always able to do that, and there are no problems with the professors or my studies.” For Saint Louis University, the final brought an end to another strong run through the championship. Bharath Subramaniyam pointed to the team atmosphere as one of the highlights of the week: “For me personally, the best thing is just being with my team. They are very supportive people, and it’s really fun to be around them. I’m glad to spend time with them.” KNUS wins bronze after a dramatic sudden-death finish The battle for third place between KNUS and UT Dallas proved much more dramatic. UT Dallas took the early advantage in the first match, winning 2.5-1.5. KNUS stoke back in the return encounter with a 2.5-1.5 victory of its own, making the overall score level and forcing the tiebreakers. The first tiebreak match also failed to separate the two sides, ending 2-2. That meant the bronze medal would be decided in a sudden-death game on a single board. With everything resting on one final encounter, GM Kazybek Nogerbek defeated GM Aditya Samant, clinching third place for KNUS and securing a medal for the home team. Nogerbek had spoken earlier in the day about how much a podium finish would mean to the team: “It’s very important for us because we are playing at home and a lot of fans are supporting us. Of course, we wanted to win gold, but this is sport. Now it’s about the bronze medal.” His victory in sudden death ultimately delivered exactly that. The KNUS first-board player also spoke about his role as team leader: “My ambitions were very high because everyone on our team wanted to win. As the first-board player, I try to be a leader and bring energy to the team. My opponents are very strong, so it is not always easy to win, but I always try at least not to lose and to give the team something.” For UT Dallas, GM Chatterjee Koustav had highlighted both the competitive strength of the event and the challenge of combining university studies with elite chess. “It is hard to balance. At UT Dallas we are expected to play chess really well, but we also have a very challenging academic programme. The rest of the semester, our job is to do well academically as well.” He also pointed to one of the key skills chess develops beyond the board: “Time management is probably the biggest thing. In chess, you have a limited amount of time and you are constantly under pressure. Playing chess teaches you how to deal with that pressure and stay calm.” Final standings: 1st – Ural State Mining University2nd – Saint Louis University3rd – KNUS4th – The University of Texas at Dallas Final Match 1: Ural State Mining University 2.5-1.5 Saint Louis UniversityMatch 2: Saint Louis University 1.5-2.5 Ural State Mining University Third-place match Match 1: KNUS 1.5-2.5 The University of Texas at DallasMatch 2: The University of Texas at Dallas 1.5-2.5 KNUS Overall after two matches: 4-4 Tiebreak: The University of Texas at Dallas 2-2 KNUSSudden death: GM Kazybek Nogerbek defeated GM Aditya Samant and KNUS won third place. Closing ceremony celebrates the championship’s first medalists The inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship Finals concluded with an official closing and awards ceremony, bringing together players, officials and guests after six days of competition in Almaty. The ceremony opened with the vocal and choreographic performance “Samğa, elim!”, performed by the KeshYOU group and Bastau Dance Theatre, followed by the national anthem of Kazakhstan and the FIDE anthem. Guests were then addressed by representatives of the Almaty city administration,
Saint Louis University and Ural State Mining University reach final of FIDE World University Team Championship
The finalists of the inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship Finals are confirmed, with Saint Louis University and Ural State Mining University advancing through Saturday’s semifinals in Almaty. Following three days of group-stage competition and Friday’s quarterfinals, the original field of sixteen universities had been reduced to four: Kazakh National University of Sports (KNUS), Ural State Mining University, Saint Louis University, and The University of Texas at Dallas. Before the start of play, participants continued to discover Almaty with a morning visit to the Almaty Museum of Arts, part of the cultural programme accompanying the championship. Attention then turned to the two semifinal encounters: KNUS vs. Ural State Mining University and Saint Louis University vs. the University of Texas at Dallas. The semifinal stage was officially opened with the ceremonial first move, made by Łukasz Turlej, FIDE Secretary General, and Darmen Sadvakassov, First Vice President of KazChess. With just four teams remaining, two rounds of semifinal play would determine who would advance to the final. Saint Louis University made a commanding start to its semifinal against the University of Texas at Dallas, winning the opening match 3.5-0.5. WGM Thalia Cervantes Landeiro was pleased with both her own performance and the team result, despite finding herself outside her preparation early in the game. “I’m very proud of myself and my team for this 3.5-0.5 result. It was a really good performance,” she said. “I was preparing so much this morning, and none of what I prepared came on the board. But I’m glad that it turned out well.” Her teammate GM Nikolozi Kacharava was equally positive about Saint Louis’s performance and his first experience in Kazakhstan. “This is my first time in Kazakhstan, and I really like it. The organization is very good, the food is brilliant, and the tournament so far is going really well,” Kacharava said. An economics major with a minor in philosophy at Saint Louis University, Kacharava also offered a light-hearted perspective on balancing academics with high-level chess. “Chess is so complex and so hard that studying is very easy compared to that. Economics is very easy compared to chess,” he said. Having started playing at the age of four, Kacharava described chess as something inseparable from the rest of his life. “Chess is my whole life. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t play chess. It’s just everyday life – like going to school and going to university. Chess is part of everyday life.” Despite the difficult opening match, UT Dallas captain GM Julio Sadorra remained focused on resetting for the second encounter. “It’s always difficult psychologically when you’re down one. But I believe the secret is just to get in a good mood, reset, and play some good chess,” Sadorra said. “Don’t think about the result – play good chess, play your best. That’s the best thing you can do.” For Sadorra, the university chess experience is also a personal one. He arrived at UT Dallas as a chess scholar in 2009 and became a grandmaster while studying there. “It’s challenging to balance both academics and chess, but it’s possible,” he said. “I remember when my grades went up in my third year, my chess also went up. I was close to hitting 2600.” Now helping guide a new generation of UT Dallas chess scholars, Sadorra sees the lessons of the game extending far beyond competition. “I believe that life is like chess. When you see a good move, you need to pause, slow down, show patience, and look for a better move. If you rush into important decisions at critical moments, that’s when you go wrong.” He added that this connection between chess, education, and personal development is part of what makes the inaugural championship special. “The really special thing about this event is that while we’re competing against each other, we’re also building relationships and connections with people from across the globe.” The other semifinal remained completely open after the first match, as KNUS and Ural State Mining University drew 2-2. With nothing separating the teams, everything came down to their second encounter. This time, Ural secured a 3-1 victory to earn its place in the final. UT Dallas entered the second match needing a major turnaround after the 3.5-0.5 opening defeat, but Saint Louis did not allow the momentum to shift. Saint Louis won the return match 3-1, completing an impressive semifinal performance with 6.5 points across the two sets and punching its ticket to Sunday’s final. For UT Dallas and KNUS, the title challenge came to an end, but both teams will return for the third-place match on the final day. Ural State Mining University will face Saint Louis University in Sunday’s final, with the inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship title at stake. The championship concludes on Sunday in Almaty, when the first-ever FIDE World University Team Champion will be crowned. Pairings of the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship final: https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1470969.aspx?lan=1&art=0&turdet=YES&flag=30&SNode=S0 Follow the games live: https://lichess.org/broadcast/fide-world-university-team-chess-championship-2026-finals-playoffs/semifinals-game-1/zJLf6V2o#overview Official website: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com/
Efemuai crowned champion as Indians shine at FIDE World Amateur Blitz Chess Championship
Nigeria’s Odafe Benedict Efemuai captured the U2300 Open title at the FIDE World Amateur Blitz Chess Championship in Abuja, while India’s contingent impressed with commanding victories in the U1700 Open and U2000 Open categories. The Blitz Championship, staged from August 6 to 7, the second half of the FIDE World Amateur Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships, was jointly organised by FIDE and the Nigeria Chess Federation. Played under a 3+2 time control across 11 Swiss-system rounds, the event awarded the winners in six categories. Efemuai leads Nigerian charge Efemuai delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament, scoring 8 points from 11 rounds to finish third overall. Under the tournament regulations, which award medals strictly within registered categories, he was crowned U2300 Open Champion, securing gold and the top prize. His score placed him behind only India’s AIM Shejal Sahil Sanjay (9 points, overall champion, pictured below) and CM Pankaj Sharma (8½ points, runner-up). Nigeria’s strength was further highlighted as its players occupied positions three through ten in the final standings. Category Champions Category Champion Federation Score U1700 Open Saket Kumar India 6½ U1700 Women Rani Puja India 4½ U2000 Open AIM Shejal Sahil Sanjay India 9 U2000 Women Omoruyi Sandra Osarugue Nigeria 5½ U2300 Open Efemuai Odafe Benedict Nigeria 8 U2300 Women WFM Asanga Nsisong Nigeria 3 Closing ceremony highlights The championships concluded with a vibrant ceremony attended by dignitaries including Alhaji Shehu Dikko (Chairman, National Sports Commission), Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (President, Nigeria Chess Federation), and Sergei Indeikin (FIDE Delegate). Chief Arbiter Olalekan Adeyemi, FIDE Vice President, presented the official event report, after which champions across categories received their medals. A heartfelt Vote of Thanks by Prince Adeyinka Adewole, Vice President of the Nigeria Chess Federation, closed the event, celebrating five days of competitive chess and international camaraderie. Photos: Nigeria Chess Federation Official website: https://nigeriachessfederation.com/wacc2026/