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/