New Format for the 2026 World Schools Team Championship
The World Schools Team Championship (WSTC) will follow a new competition format in 2026. This new structure includes four continental qualifying events and a final four-team Grand Final in December.
The championship was first held in 2023 in Kazakhstan and again in 2025 in the United States. It is now considered the most important global school chess tournament. The event is organised jointly by FIDE and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF), with support from continental chess bodies.
The 2026 edition will be part of the “Year of Chess in Education.” This is a special initiative by FIDE and ISCF to promote chess in schools. The goal is to improve learning, thinking skills, teamwork and social development among children.
In October 2025, FIDE and ISCF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. They announced a full series of international school team tournaments for 2026. The World Schools Team Championship will be the main event of this programme. The competition will take place in two stages: first, Continental Championships, and then the Grand Final.
There will be four continental stages in 2026:
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Africa
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Americas
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Asia
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Europe
Each continent will crown one champion school team. These four winners will qualify directly for the Grand Final in December 2026.
The tournament will begin with the Asian stage in Almaty, Kazakhstan in early April 2026. The exact dates and venues for the other stages will be announced later.
Only teams from a single school are allowed to participate. Each team must include at least one boy and one girl, except in special cases for single-gender schools.
Players must have been born between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2018 to be eligible.
The organisers have promised strong financial and logistical support for participating schools. This will help more teams take part from different countries.
ISCF President Timur Turlov said that chess brings children from different cultures together and helps them learn from each other. He added that this experience will encourage creativity, teamwork and global friendship.
Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, stated that chess is a powerful educational tool. She said the 2026 championships will inspire many schoolchildren to start playing chess.
More details about the regulations will be released soon.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
