Press release
The 2026 FIDE–ISCF World Schools Team Championship is being held in a new multi-continent format spanning Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The tournament brings together school teams from around the world, but its purpose extends well beyond competition. Through the championship, the organizers are building a global school chess ecosystem that combines education, international exchange, and the development of young talent. The event is funded by Nasdaq-listed fintech group Freedom Holding Corp., founded and led by entrepreneur Timur Turlov.
How the World Schools Team Championship Works
The World Schools Team Championship (WSTC) is an international competition in which school teams, rather than individual young players, compete against one another. This distinguishes it from most youth tournaments. Success depends on the preparation of the entire team, the work of the coach and the support of the school, rather than on one star player.
The next stop in the championship cycle will be San Jose. The Americas Continental Stage will take place in the Costa Rican capital from August 11 to 16, bringing together school teams from across the region. The strongest teams will qualify for the Grand Final. The organizers have also prepared an educational and cultural program that will give participants opportunities not only to compete, but also to meet young players from other countries. The strongest teams will qualify for the Grand Final, which will be held in December.
The championship cycle is organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF). ISCF promotes chess in educational settings, develops an international network of school teams, and expands children’s access to tournaments, training, and modern chess technology.
The president of ISCF is Timur Turlov, founder and chief executive officer of Freedom Holding Corp., who also heads the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
Previous Tournament Stages
The 2026 championship cycle began in Asia in the spring. The Asian Continental Stage was held in Almaty, bringing together 114 schoolchildren aged eight to 14 from 19 countries. Wisdom School from Tashkent won the tournament. Moscow’s I. V. Kurchatov School finished second, while Velammal MHS School from Chennai, India, placed third. The leading teams also earned the right to compete in the Grand Final in December.
The African Continental Stage of the FIDE-ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 has concluded in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Held in Africa for the first time, the tournament brought together 26 school teams from 22 countries.
Sr. Miriam Duggan Primary School of Uganda was crowned continental champion. The team went unbeaten throughout the tournament, recording six wins and two draws. Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School of Kenya took silver, while Welgemoed Primary School of South Africa won bronze.
Alongside the competition, the program included workshops, lectures, chess quizzes, cultural events, and meetings with representatives of national and international chess federations.
Freedom Holding: Backing the Next Generation of Chess Players
Freedom Holding Corp. is a major partner of the International School Chess Federation and one of the championship’s main financial supporters. The Freedom group of companies supports the wider international championship cycle.
The company is expected to allocate $1.5 million to the World Schools Team Championship and its partnership with the ISCF in 2026. Its total investment in chess over the past three years has reached $75 million.
Freedom Holding Corp. is a Nasdaq-listed financial-services and technology group. Its businesses include brokerage, banking, insurance, payment services, telecommunications, cloud computing, and media.
Kazakhstan remains its largest market, while the group’s subsidiaries and representative offices operate across Europe, Asia, and North America. In Kazakhstan, several of its services are integrated into the Freedom SuperApp, which combines banking, payments, insurance, and other everyday digital services.
Chess as a Pathway to Opportunity
For Timur Turlov support for school chess forms part of a wider program of charitable and community initiatives. In August 2023, the Freedom Shapagat corporate foundation was established to coordinate the group’s sponsorship and charitable work. The foundation supports initiatives in education, sports, culture, environmental protection, and social assistance.
Chess education has become one of its priorities. The thinking behind this work goes beyond one-time sponsorship. It is not enough for a child simply to learn how the pieces move. Young players also need access to a coach, regular competitions, strong opponents, opportunities to earn an international rating, and a clear path from a school chess club to a continental tournament.
The World Schools Team Championship is helping to build that pathway. After its Asian and African stages, the championship now moves to the Americas. At the end of the year, the strongest school teams from each continent will meet in the Grand Final.
Yet the championship’s impact already extends beyond trophies and medals. It can be seen in the confidence children gain, the international experience they receive, and the opportunities that open up when school chess is treated not simply as a game, but as part of a broader educational journey.
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