The second edition of the FIDE World Schools Team Championship (WSTC) will take place from August 2nd to August 7th, 2025, in Washington, D.C., specifically at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, USA.
This prominent event in scholastic chess is organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF), aiming to highlight chess as a tool for education, inclusivity, and personal development. The championship will bring together 55 schools from 47 countries, making it one of the largest global tournaments for young chess players.
Eligibility and Team Composition
Participation is strictly limited to teams representing single general educational institutions. This means chess academies, clubs, specialized sports schools, Olympic reserve schools, or teams combining players from multiple institutions are not permitted to participate.
Each team must consist of four main players, one reserve player, and one non-playing captain. To promote diversity, teams are encouraged to include both boys and girls where possible. A key requirement is that at least two players on each team must be born in 2012 or later. All team members must possess a FIDE ID. National federations are responsible for verifying the eligibility of players, ensuring they are indeed students of the school they represent.
Failure to comply with eligibility rules carries severe consequences. A team found with an ineligible player will be disqualified from the competition, forfeiting any prizes won. The implicated school will be banned from the subsequent edition of the championship, a ban that FIDE Council may extend. Similarly, the national federation involved will be barred from entering teams in the next edition, with the possibility of extension by the FIDE Council. FIDE Council also reserves the right to report involved parties to the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission for further investigation and potential sanctions.
Tournament Format
The championship will be an 8-round Swiss system tournament, with two games played per day over four days. Team captains must submit their four main players and one reserve in a fixed board order no later than the end of the technical meeting, and this order will remain for the entire tournament. There is no requirement for players to be assigned boards based on their rating. The team composition for each round must be submitted at least 30 minutes before the round begins. If a captain fails to submit the composition, the four main players will be deemed selected.
For pairings, the first-named team will have white pieces on odd-numbered boards and black pieces on even-numbered boards. The time control for each game will be 45 minutes with a 10-second increment per move from move one. The default time for a player is 10 minutes.
Specific FIDE regulations will apply in full, including those concerning Captains and Heads of Delegation, and Appeals Committee Procedural Rules, with an appeal fee of 200 Euros. Articles 3–11 of the Olympiad Pairing Rules will also apply, with some exceptions. Notably, if there’s an odd number of participating teams, the organizing federation can enter an additional team, which, if it plays round 1, must remain in the tournament. For pairing purposes, players without a FIDE rapid rating will use their FIDE standard rating, and those with neither will be assigned a rating of 1000. Article 10.2 regarding unpaired teams states that any team with less than three players for two non-consecutive or consecutive rounds will not be paired for the rest of the tournament. References to the “Global Strategy Commission” in Article 11 will instead refer to the “Events Commission.” “Standard Level” Fair Play Protection Measures will be implemented.
FIDE World Schools Team Championship 2025 results
Ranking and Prizes
Team rankings will be determined by:
- Matchpoints (2 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss)
- Olympiad Sonneborn-Berger Tie-Break (Chennai)
- Gamepoints
- Sum of Adjusted Opponents Matchpoints (Chennai)
Individual rankings for each board will be determined by:
- Gamepoint Percentage (forfeit wins and losses count)
- Number of Games Played (forfeit wins count, forfeit losses do not count)
- Number of Games Won (forfeit wins count)
- Buchholz (rounds where a player is not named to play are ignored; forfeit wins and losses count as if played games)
- Higher team ranking
Prizes include participation certificates for all players, reserves, and captains. The top three placed teams (first, second, and third) will receive cups, gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively, along with other memorable gifts for all players, the reserve, and the captain. The first, second, and third-placed players on each board will be awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals and certificates. To be eligible for a board prize, players must play a minimum of 6 games.
Accommodation and Travel
Accommodation reservations will be handled on a “First Come, First Served” basis. FIDE is responsible for global promotion and travel grants for FIDE-nominated teams. The ISCF, with local organizer support, will provide full board accommodation for nominated teams (as per point 5.1) in two twin rooms and one single room for children, and one single room for the captain, in on-campus housing at Episcopal High School from arrival to departure. Additional rooms, if available, can be arranged at the official hotel at the team’s or national federation’s expense. If on-campus accommodation is full, teams will be housed in a 4-star hotel with the same room allocation.
Accompanying persons and non-nominated teams are invited to stay at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center (5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA, US, 22311) at their own expense. Room rates (including breakfast) are $159 for single rooms and $179 for double rooms, plus applicable taxes.
The organizers will cover full board accommodation and stipends for tournament officials, including the Chief Arbiter, two Deputy Chief Arbiters, one Pairing Officer, one Fair Play Officer, one FIDE Technical Delegate, three Appeals Committee members, and an appropriate number of Match Arbiters. Free airport transfers and local transportation will be provided for all participants. Other services provided by ISCF and local organizers include the venue itself, opening and closing ceremonies, volunteers, refreshments at the playing venue, local promotion, and additional cultural programs like museum visits and excursions.
All 60 teams mentioned in point 5.1 are entitled to free accommodation (two twin rooms, two single rooms). The organizers will directly purchase economy class flight tickets for teams once their participation is officially confirmed via email, covering flights from the member federation to the host city and any domestic internal travel expenses (e.g., standard class rail fare, internal flights). Assistance with booking tickets for accompanying persons can be provided if the full cost is covered by those individuals. Transport services will be provided on August 2nd (arrival) and August 7th (departure). Delegations making private transport arrangements are fully responsible for any issues during arrival or departure.
Player and Captain Conduct
Each team is required to wear a team uniform. Inappropriate attire (e.g., dirty, ripped clothes) is not allowed in the playing area. Players and captains are expected to attend all official functions approved by EVE, including the Technical Meeting, Opening, and Closing Ceremonies. Players are also expected to cooperate with the media.
By participating, all players and their legal representatives (for minors) agree that organizers have the right to photograph, record, and livestream the event, including participants and accompanying persons, without additional consent or compensation. These media materials may be used by organizers for promotional, educational, or informational purposes across all media platforms, both during and after the tournament, without restrictions.
National chess federations confirm that registered non-playing captains and accompanying persons are suitable and eligible for their roles, bearing full responsibility for ensuring they have passed appropriate background checks according to their respective countries’ legal and safeguarding standards. Organizers reserve the right to deny accreditation or access to any accompanying person or non-playing captain if credible concerns regarding their eligibility or background arise.
Participating Teams
The 2025 World Schools Team Championship features 55 participating schools from across the globe. The top-rated team is the National School of Physics and Mathematics from Kazakhstan, with an average rating of 2229. India’s Velammal MHS School is a close second with 2210. Other high-rated teams include Hampton (England), University High School (USA), Riga State Gymnasium No 1 (Latvia), and Kantonsschule Alpenquai (Switzerland).
The full list of participating teams with their average ratings and key players is as follows:
- National School of Physics and Mathematics (KAZ) – RtgAvg: 2229
- Captain: Yegenberdiyev, Sayat
- Players: IM IMMAMEDOV, EDGAR (2299), FM Akhilbay, Imangali (2292), WFM Nurgaliyeva, Zarina (2152), CM Daulet, Alikhan (2173), Yessengali, Adizhan (1989)
- Velammal MHS School (IND) – RtgAvg: 2210
- Captain: Subbiah, Velavan
- Players: IM Aswath, S (2369), WFM Keerti, Shree Reddy (1910), FM Pranav, K P (2090), FM Daakshin, Arun (2021), IM Ilamparthi, A R (2358)
- Hampton (ENG) – RtgAvg: 2051
- Captain: John, Stuart
- Players: IM Makkar, Rajat (2275), AFM Kothari, Jai (2037), Shidlagatta, Anirudh (1996), Wang, Luoke (1856), Lapidus, Alexey M. (1894)
- University High School (USA) – RtgAvg: 2007
- Captain: Porat, Oren
- Players: FM Tao, Sihan (2202), Lantz, Brian (1910), WCM Porat, Tori (2006), Wu, Taiwei (1911), Alan, Yang (0)
- Riga State Gymnasium No 1 (LAT) – RtgAvg: 1998
- Captain: Zeimanis, Janis
- Players: CM Germanovs, Georgijs (2251), FM Valdats, Reinis (2221), Jansone, Melanija Luize (1951), Diners, Kirils (1569), Vrublevskis, Atis (0)
- Kantonsschule Alpenquai (SUI) – RtgAvg: 1970
- Captain: Fischer, Lukas
- Players: FM Mattenberger, Matthias (2197), Gut, Lionel (1946), Gut, Raphael (1890), Knapp, Yanik (1848), Infanger, Philip (1470)
- SEED EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX (KAZ) – RtgAvg: 1959
- Captain: Muhituly, Suleimen Kuanysh
- Players: CM Kuandykuly, Danis (2156), Sailaubay, Aldiyar (2011), Aitmukhanov, Arsen (1762), Zarkym, Ailin (1905)
- Gymnázium, Grösslingová 18, Bratislava (SVK) – RtgAvg: 1958
- Captain: Sabóová, Kristína
- Players: Compel, Daniel (2009), Hitka, Dominik (2016), Lakota, Jan (1903), Tomcaniova, Lucia (1806), Malaschitz, Teodor (1902)
- The Harker School (USA) – RtgAvg: 1944
- Captain: Wang, Jeffery
- Players: CM Guo, Ethan (2023), CM Rajaram, Rohan (1794), FM Tang, Dylan (2245), WCM Rajaram, Anika (1713), Ellen, Guo (0)
- Astana 1 RSPM (KAZ) – RtgAvg: 1904
- Captain: Zhalgasbayeva, Botakoz
- Players: Aiten, Islam (2045), Savitskiy, Vladimir (1977), Akhmediyar, Yernur (1802), Momyn, Madina (1792), Dukembayeva, Kamila (1434)
- Privates Gymnasium Sacre Coeur Wien (AUT) – RtgAvg: 1884
- Captain: Radnaev, Vitaly
- Players: CM Radnaev, Nomin (2126), Radnaev, Mikael (1598), Radnaev, Leo (1975), Lichtenberger, Leonidas (1837)
- Huygenslyceum (NED) – RtgAvg: 1857
- Captain: Schuurman, Petra
- Players: Grooten, Tommy (2119), Huang, Wendy (1916), Ganeshram, Nirupa (1729), Gang, Kevin Wan Ze (1664)
- Wellington College (NZL) – RtgAvg: 1847
- Captain: Vreeburg, Jenna
- Players: FM Archer, Ollie (1997), Sethuramalingam, Karthik (1800), Keith, Matthew (1852), Lieser, Joshua (1739), Aadhav, Dhamodharan (1477)
- Royal College, Colombo (SRI) – RtgAvg: 1842
- Captain: Hettigama, Muditha Manujith
- Players: ATULUGAMAGE, SANIRU LOHAN (1620), Sathsindu, W M Minura (1887), Induwara, T H D Thisarindu (1858), CM Wijerathna, Vinuka Dihain (1913), Dias, A A T Nethsara (1710)
- Wisdom (UZB) – RtgAvg: 1840
- Captain: Xalmatov, Yakubjon
- Players: CM Ravshanov, Sheralijon (1932), WCM Khalilova, Madinabonu (1850), CM Obidjonov, Oriyat (1892), Begmuratova, Sarvinoz (1686), Xikmatkhonova, Mokhinur (1676)
- Debreceni Fazekas Mihaly Gimnazium (HUN) – RtgAvg: 1838
- Captain: Mester, Gyula
- Players: WCM Nandin-Erdene, Davaademberel (1986), Gajdacs, Jonathan (1815), Biro, Beata (1919), Biro, Csilla (1631), Berczes, Attila (0)
- Athénée royal Charler Rogier – Liège (BEL) – RtgAvg: 1819
- Captain: Battistelli, Alberto
- Players: AFM Battistelli, Fausto (2060), Morard, Ambroise (1877), Pham Kieu, Khanh (1770), Valenson, Lou (1450), Morard, Basile (1570)
- 1ST GENERAL LYCEUM of XANTHI (GRE) – RtgAvg: 1817
- Captain: Papageorgiou, Paraskevas Efstathios
- Players: KARAKASIDIS, MICHAIL (2058), Ouzounis, Konstantinos Kyr (1841), Tarchanidis, Nikolaos Christos (1780), Maniati, Konstantina (1590), Maragkozidis, Anastasios Ioannis (1552)
- Raffles Institution (SGP) – RtgAvg: 1814
- Captain: Seow, Serene
- Players: FM Goh, Zi Han (2041), Chia, Zhi Kai Aaron (1751), Heng, Jun Herng Kyan (1700), Loh, Yang Hao (1716), Gan, Wei En Justin (1746)
- Lyceum “Photon” OF Gyumri (ARM) – RtgAvg: 1812
- Captain: Khachatryan, Vahagn
- Players: CM Torosyan, Volodya (2047), Vardanyan, Arman M. (1651), Petrosyan, Hamlet (1809), Alvanjyan, Aida (1741)
- School-Gymnasium No.11, Karakol (KGZ) – RtgAvg: 1798
- Captain: Dzhaparov, Medet
- Players: Ibraimov, Dastan (1760), Zarylykov, Erhan (1817), CM Keneshbekov, Elim (1986), Berdibaeva, Edisa (1627), Kurmanbekov, Aktan (1581)
- City School (PAK) – RtgAvg: 1771
- Captain: Akhtar, Muhammad Saleem
- Players: Ijlal, Amer (1825), Ijtaba, Amer (1789), Raaif, Shan (1700), Rehan, Khan Nasir (1769)
- Narva Language Lyceum (EST) – RtgAvg: 1750
- Captain: Tsiganova, Monika
- Players: Gorkov, Kirill (2119), Rodin, Robert (1869), Istratova, Nika (1564), Moskaltsuk, Ilja (1449), Pavelkovits, Timofei (1428)
- Astana 2 RSPM (KAZ) – RtgAvg: 1737
- Captain: Kuanyshev, Rakhat
- Players: WCM Alemanova, Yasmina (1886), Khassenov, Miras (1765), Zhanabayev, Arystan (1684), Tuyenbayeva, Aisara (0), Munara, Asset (1614)
- Fran Krsto Frankopan Krk (CRO) – RtgAvg: 1718
- Captain: Maraz, Katarina
- Players: ZUZIC, JAKOV (0), ZANIC, MATIJA (1848), JURIC, ANDRIJA (1739), Barsi, Pal (1459), Camara, Kawsu (1827)
- Prva OS Slovenj Gradec (SLO) – RtgAvg: 1705
- Captain: Spalir, Jernej
- Players: Skarlovnik, Aljaz (1835), Skarlovnik, Zarja (1559), Cebulc, Miha (1586), Skitek, Dominik (1462), Svecko, Aljaz (1838)
- Istanbul Erkek High School (TUR) – RtgAvg: 1679
- Captain: Eserler, Kerem
- Players: Eserler, Kerem (1434), OZKAYNAKCI, KAYRA (1654), Patlar, Muhammet Tugra (1667), Aksu, Yusuf Alp (1723), Yasar, Mehmet Ali (1670)
- Giersings Realskole (DEN) – RtgAvg: 1679
- Captain: Christiansen, Chris
- Players: Frydendahl, Noah Skotte (1813), Kjeldsen, Johannes Juel (1675), Vo, Charlie (1721), Harpsoe, Naya (0), Christiansen, Lee Yu (1505)
- 1st school (MGL) – RtgAvg: 1672
- Captain: Tserendorj, Batsaikhan
- Players: Orgilon, Batsaikhan (1814), WFM Urangoo, Gurvanbaatar (1736), Sodbaatar, Batsaikhan (1569), Sender, Battsengel (1567), Maral, Chinguun (0)
- LEPL Physico-Mathematical Public School (GEO) – RtgAvg: 1660
- Captain: Arsenidze, Aleksandre
- Players: Gabadadze, Gabriel (1905), Kachakhidze, Nikoloz (1627), Arsenidze, Giorgi (1571), Sakhokia, Luka (1536)
- Hillel (ISR) – RtgAvg: 1650
- Captain: Drori, Dan
- Players: Hoch, Guy (1731), Dorfman, Michael (1732), Regev, Berry (1622), Gvirtz, Noam (1516), Bar Zeev, Lavie (1487)
- Renert School (CAN) – RtgAvg: 1650
- Captain: Wang, Yao
- Players: Xu, Michael (1688), Wang, Lucas Yuebo (1651), Johal, Jaiven (1703), Wang, April (1558), Verma, Audvik (1494)
- The Oxford School (PAN) – RtgAvg: 1635
- Captain: Sanchez, Jorge
- Players: Calderon Bolanos, Matias Emanuel (1694), Gomes Barranco, Manuel Ignacio (1834), Kitaeff Mattison, Andres Constantin (1479), Jarrin Zhang, Dominick Yong Heng (1532), Cadagan Torres, Derek Ivannovha (0)
- Intellect Academy (FID) – RtgAvg: 1631
- Captain: Pigusov, Evgenii
- Players: Solonenko, Pavel (1755), Rybkin, Gleb (1555), Eliseytsev, Vladimir (1734), Rybkin, Aleksandr (1479), Kraeva, Ekaterina (0)
- THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL LIMASSOL – CYPRUS (CYP) – RtgAvg: 1629
- Captain: Stefanidi, Maria Anna
- Players: Daniil, Daniil (1688), Daniil, Christodoulos (1728), Thrasyvoulou, Alexandros (1504), Alichanides, Ioannis (1594), Misirlis, Nicos (0)
- Queens College (BAR) – RtgAvg: 1620
- Captain: Elcock, Corie
- Players: WFM Wilson, Hannah (1730), WCM Reifer-Belle, Chanon (1670), Clarke, Noah (1622), Reifer-Belle, Chaz (1459), Simmons-Patterson, Nathan (0)
- Slemdal skole (NOR) – RtgAvg: 1594
- Captain: Moe, Helene Tronstad
- Players: Maurstad, Astor Moe (1953), Yarushin, Michael (1546), Vervaeke, Noah Rinholm (0), Maurstad, Anker Moe (1475)
- IT Lyceum №.9 named after Zholdasbekov (KAZ) – RtgAvg: 1570
- Captain: Sultanbek, Zeinep
- Players: Sazantaev, Bekzathan (1452), Sugraliyev, Akhmediyar (1667), Zhanibek, Alikhan (1442), Zhumabek, Nursaya (1642), Rysbaiuly, Aldiyar (1519)
- BASIS Cedar Park (USA) – RtgAvg: 1569
- Captain: Manchanda, Mohit
- Players: AFM Manchanda, Advik (1724), Santhosh, Pranav (1753), Jin, Yueqi (0), Desu, Srihaas K (0), Anika, Manchanda (0)
- De La Salle College (MLT) – RtgAvg: 1563
- Captain: Vella, Duncan
- Players: Gauci, Gabriel (1557), Calleja Falzon, Benjamin (1667), Grech, Gabriel (1577), Callus, Matthew (1451), Micallef Trigona, Luke (0)
- Gymnasium D.Konaev (KAZ) – RtgAvg: 1560
- Captain: Zhanashov, Bauyrzhan
- Players: Assylbek, Aldiyar (0), Otetileu, Amanbek (1813), Sapartileuov, Nurassyl (1582), Bauyrzhan, Nurgul (1446)
- Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School (CHN) – RtgAvg: 1532
- Captain: Xue, Shan
- Players: WFM XUE, TIANHAO (1927), SHEN, YUZHENG (0), Chen, Yumu (0), Luo, Yancheng (0)
- Our Second Home (HON) – RtgAvg: 1528
- Captain: Bobadilla, Yelso
- Players: WCM Bobadilla, Diana (1697), Bobadilla Deras, Ximena (1479), Garay, Mario Fernando (1450), Garay, Fabio Esteban (1485)
- Primary School nr 1 (POL) – RtgAvg: 1512
- Captain: Wysocki, Pawel
- Players: Wysocki, Michal (1527), Wysocki, Jakub (1518), Strozek, Filip (0), Ciszewska, Pola (1424), Wysocka, Maja (1578)
- TASKIUS Science & Art School (LTU) – RtgAvg: 1509
- Captain: Sidabras, Jonas
- Players: Anuzis, Finas (1570), Anuzyte, Soja (0), Zutautas, Mantas (1481), Gostautas, Antanas (1586), Gostautaite, Ona (0)
- Hvaleyrarskóli (ISL) – RtgAvg: 1508
- Captain: Jóhannsdóttir, Jóhanna Björg
- Players: Alguno Openia, Tristan Nash (1574), Olszewski, Milosz Ulfur (1493), Egilsson, Kristofer Arni (1442), Tomasdottir, Katrin Osk (1523), Tomasdottir, Emilia Klara (0)
- ZŠ u sv. Štěpána (CZE) – RtgAvg: 1505
- Captain: Hrbek, Přemysl
- Players: Cerny, Zbysek (1534), Brabcova, Nikola (1530), Polansky, Matej (1463), Lescinskij, Timofej (1404), Ticha, Barbora (1494)
- ANTOFAGASTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (CHI) – RtgAvg: 1474
- Captain: MESIAS, RABINDRANATH
- Players: Galvez Aguirre, Valentina (1573), Cartajena Nef, Daniel Andres (1454), Campe Sanchez, Diego (1470), Ruiz, Arancibia Diego Alonso (0), Campos Frias, Mateo Alfredo (0)
- Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (GHA) – RtgAvg: 1458
- Captain: Ameku, Philip Elikem
- Players: Colin, Luther Tettey Appian (0), Andreas Awinong, Krugu (0), Sedinam Kwesi Gbedasi, Honu (0), Asamoah-Okyere, Nana Kofi Asamoah (0), Asamoah-Okyere, Kofi Asamoah (1631)
- Ammar Bin Yaser School (OMA) – RtgAvg: 1447
- Captain: Al Hinai, Hamdan
- Players: Al Hinai, Abdulaziz (1587), Al Shamli, Al Hasan (0), Al Shamli, Dawod (0), Al Shekaili, Khalid (0), Al Kalbani, Khalid Waleed (0)
- MUDASA ACADEMY (KEN) – RtgAvg: 1430
- Captain: Mulati, Appity Nasimba
- Players: Kim, Vivica (0), TINDI, LIAM (1445), SKYLAR, AMOR (1473), Namale, Ethan (0), Miujiza, Riley Nangabo (0)
- Horizon Private School (TJK) – RtgAvg: 1427
- Captain: Isaev, Jamshed
- Players: Saifiev, Murodali (1509), Shamsov, Ahmad (0), Azimov, Shokhrukh (0), Ibragimov, Yusufjamol (0), Mayunusov, Anis (0)
- Dominican Convent High School (ZIM) – RtgAvg: 1403
- Captain: Shamuyarira, Phyllis
- Players: Gwatidzo, Ropafadzo (1413), Moyo, Ginevieve (0), Chaitezvi, Crystal (0), Gwena, Precious (0), Muchaka, Miranda (0)
- Academia Interamericana Metro (PUR) – RtgAvg: 1400
- Captain: Cruz, Francisco
- Players: Cortes Camacho, Gael I. (0), Sanchez George, Alondra (0), Garcia Sanchez, Fabrizio (0), Garcia Sanchez, Fabian (0), French Julia, Liam J. (0)
- Fallon Middle School (USA) – RtgAvg: 1400
- Captain: Eric Yo-Ping, Lai
- Players: Nuti, Reyansh (0), Jain, Naman (0), Prasad, Anika (0), Jain, Rayan (0), Solan, Arnav (0)
The Smart Moves Summit
Alongside the championship, the “Smart Moves Summit” is scheduled for August 4th and 5th, 2025. This two-day conference will gather educators, scientists, policymakers, and chess leaders from over 30 countries to explore the role of chess in education and child development. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky emphasizes the summit’s importance in equipping students with critical thinking and resilience in an era shaped by Artificial Intelligence. The summit aims to showcase proven strategies for connecting chess and education.
Reflecting on the Previous Edition (2023)
The first FIDE World Schools Team Championship was held in Aktau, Kazakhstan, from August 4th to 7th, 2023, attracting over 300 schoolchildren from 53 countries. The competition featured two age categories: Under 12 and Under 18.
In the Under 18 section, Istanbul ENKA High School (Turkey) emerged victorious, winning all eight matches and claiming the gold medal with a perfect score of 16 match points. The Republican School of Physics and Mathematics (Kazakhstan) secured silver with 12 points and a tiebreak score of 202.5, while Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, Chennai (India) took bronze, also with 12 points but a tiebreak of 190.5.
For the Under 12 category, Velammal MHS Mogappair (India) dominated, winning all eight matches and earning the gold medal with 16 match points. Lviv Academic Gymnasium (Ukraine) finished second with 12 points. National Physics & Mathematics School (Kazakhstan) secured third place with 10 points and a tiebreak of 172. The tiebreak system, which added the scores of each defeated team and half the scores of each drawn team (excluding the lowest result), proved crucial in determining several final standings.
Several players achieved exceptional individual performances in the 2023 edition, including Aarav A (IND), Aziz Degenbaev (KGZ), FM Adar Tarhan (TUR), and Suleyman Akhmet (KAZ), all of whom scored a perfect 8 out of 8 and earned individual gold medals.
The closing ceremony in Aktau featured remarks from Mr. Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, who highlighted the championship’s role in promoting chess globally and its positive impact on young players‘ careers and cultural exchange. Mr. Nurlan Nogaev, Akim of Mangistau region, emphasized the cognitive benefits of chess for teenagers and children and expressed commitment to hosting more such tournaments in Aktau. The event concluded with a colorful fireworks display.
The 2025 World Schools Team Championship promises to be another significant event, continuing to foster young chess talent and underscore the educational value of the game on a global scale.
I’m a passionate board game enthusiast and a skilled player in chess, xiangqi and Go. Words for Attacking Chess since 2023. Ping me at Lichess for a game or chat.
