The World Schools Team Championship will implement a new continental qualifying structure for its 2026 edition. The top school team from each continental championship in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe will advance to a four-team Grand Final in December 2026.

The championship, jointly organized by FIDE and the International School Chess Federation, requires each team to represent a single school and include at least one boy and one girl. The cycle begins with the Asian Continental stage in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in April 2026.

Timur Turlov

Timur Turlov

President of International School Chess Federation

“Everyone has something they can learn from someone or teach someone. By bringing together children from different countries and cultures to play chess, we are sowing the seeds of knowledge, creativity and multiculturalism, which are essential for a thriving life and society.”

The World Schools Team Championship is the primary global scholastic team competition held since 2023. Its 2025 edition was held in the United States, and the winner was Velammal MHS from India.

Credit: Michal Walusza