Press release
From 11 to 16 August 2026, San José will host the American Continental Stage of the FIDE–ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026, an international team chess tournament bringing together school students from across the Americas.
Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari, the championship will be played over eight rounds under the Swiss system. The leading teams will qualify directly for the WSTC 2026 Grand Final, where the winners of the continental stages will compete for the world school team title.
The event marks an important milestone for the region: it will be the first time that a continental stage of the World Schools Team Championship has been held in Costa Rica or Central America. San José will become a meeting point for young players, educators, national federations, public authorities and international partners.
The championship is organised by the International Chess Federation — FIDE — and the International School Chess Federation — ISCF — together with the Federación Costarricense de Ajedrez and the Confederation of Chess for America.
Freedom Holding Corp. is the General Partner of the championship, supporting its sporting, educational and international programme.
More than a chess tournament
The American Continental Stage is being held as part of the Year of Chess in Education 2026, a joint FIDE–ISCF initiative aimed at expanding the use of chess as an educational and social-development tool.
In addition to the competition, the programme will include masterclasses, workshops and activities for students, teachers, parents, coaches and federation representatives. The objective is to help participants exchange experience, build international connections and explore how chess can support critical thinking, concentration, creativity, resilience and decision-making.
A central event of the week will be Smart Moves Americas: Governments That Think Ahead, scheduled for 12 August. The conference will bring together education officials, policymakers, curriculum specialists, teacher-training experts and representatives of chess federations from across the region.
Discussions will focus on practical approaches to integrating chess into education, including teacher development, curriculum design, institutional partnerships and the long-term sustainability of national programmes.
The championship week will also feature Smart Moves: Girls Who Lead, an initiative supporting the participation and leadership of girls and women in chess through a masterclass and a blitz tournament for girls aged 16 and under.
Other planned activities include the ISCF Master Class Series, interactive chess exhibitions, educational quizzes and sessions demonstrating how chess can be incorporated into different school subjects.
Freedom Holding Corp.: investing in education and international development
Freedom Holding Corp.’s support for the championship reflects the company’s broader focus on education, technology, youth development and international cooperation.
Freedom Holding Corp. is a Nasdaq-listed international financial technology group operating in 22 countries. Its ecosystem combines banking, brokerage, insurance, payments, investments and lifestyle services through a unified digital model.
As of 31 March 2026, the group’s businesses served more than 14 million customers, while the Freedom SuperApp had more than 5.2 million registered users. For the financial year ended 31 March 2026, the company reported revenue of US$2.19 billion and total assets of US$13.16 billion.
Freedom continues to expand internationally. In July 2026, the company completed a US$300 million ordinary share offering to support its international investment programme. It also received regulatory approval for its planned acquisition of Turkish Bank A.Ş., while pursuing the development of a digital banking platform in France.
Chess forms part of Freedom’s educational and technology agenda. In April 2026, the group acquired ChessBase, one of the world’s leading chess software and analytical platforms, and announced plans to invest approximately €5 million in its further development. Freedom is also integrating chess content into its digital ecosystem, including tournament broadcasts, educational materials, puzzles and training tools.
Timur Turlov and the development of international chess
Timur Turlov, founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., is President of the International School Chess Federation and President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
Since taking office at the Kazakhstan Chess Federation in 2023, he has supported programmes focused on youth development, school chess, digitalisation and international competition. Kazakhstan’s Chess in Education programme now covers more than 1,500 schools and over 60,000 students across the country.
Through ISCF, Turlov has promoted international school championships and cooperation among chess federations, schools, education authorities and private partners. The World Schools Team Championship is one of the central elements of this work, combining competition with a broader educational programme for young players and the adults responsible for their development.
In July 2026, Turlov also announced his intention to seek the presidency of FIDE. On 26 July, FIDE confirmed that it had received a presidential ticket naming Timur Turlov as candidate for President and Viswanathan Anand as candidate for Deputy President.
The submitted ticket will undergo examination by the FIDE Electoral Commission before the list of valid candidacies is formally approved. The elections are scheduled to be completed during the FIDE General Assembly on 26–27 September 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Turlov’s stated priorities for international chess include education, youth development, digital transformation, institutional stability and stronger cooperation across regions.
A continental platform for the next generation
For Costa Rica, the championship represents more than a major sporting event. It offers the country an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to youth, education and international collaboration while welcoming school teams and delegations from across the Americas.
For the participants, the week is designed to provide not only high-level competitive experience, but also new knowledge, international connections and ideas that can continue to benefit their schools and communities after the final move has been played.
About Freedom Holding Corp.
Freedom Holding Corp. is an international financial technology group providing financial and related services in 22 countries. Its shares are traded on Nasdaq, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange and the Astana International Exchange under the ticker FRHC.
The group provides brokerage, banking, insurance, payment, investment and lifestyle services. Freedom Holding Corp. is incorporated in the United States and is subject to reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
