#World University Team Chess Championship – International Chess Federation https://www.fide.com International Chess Federation official website. Chess Tournaments, Championships, Videos and Results. Tue, 12 May 2026 13:35:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://www.fide.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-512a_new-32x32.png #World University Team Chess Championship – International Chess Federation https://www.fide.com 32 32 FIDE World University Team Chess Championship 2026: 32 teams advance to knockout stage https://www.fide.com/fide-world-university-team-chess-championship-2026-32-teams-advance-to-knockout-stage/ Mon, 11 May 2026 19:07:27 +0000 https://www.fide.com/?p=46267

The first stage of the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship 2026 has officially concluded, with university teams from around the world competing in two online Swiss qualifiers for places in the next phase of the competition.

Organised by FIDE and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, together with the Almaty city administration and support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Sports and Tourism, the championship has already attracted strong international participation in its inaugural edition. The over-the-board finals will take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from August 3-9, 2026.

The championship format includes three stages: two Online Swiss Qualifiers, an Online Knockout stage, and the final over-the-board event in Almaty. Following the completion of the two Swiss qualifiers, the top 16 teams from each event have advanced to Stage 2, the Online Knockout.

Qualifier 1: Americas and Africa (May 2)

The first online Swiss qualifier took place on May 2 on Lichess.org, bringing together 22 university teams from the Americas and Africa regions in a seven-round Swiss-system tournament played at a rapid time control of 10 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. After the event’s completion, 16 teams had secured their spots in Stage 2.

Saint Louis University (USA) came out on top with 13 match points and 23 game points, with Webster University (St. Louis, USA) finishing second on 12 match points. The University of Texas at Dallas rounded out the top three, ahead of UTRGV (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) and Texas Tech University, both of which also advanced comfortably.

The strength of the field was notable from the outset. Saint Louis University fielded a lineup that included GM Aryan Chopra (2637, India), GM Bharath Subramaniyam H. (2599, India), GM Nikolozi Kacharava (2528, Georgia), and WGM Thalia Cervantes Landeiro (2262, USA). Webster University’s roster, led by GM Awonder Liang (2718, USA), was also very strong and included GM Francesco Sonis (2556, Italy), IM Anna Sargsyan (2360, USA), and WIM Munika Akshaya Bommini (2128, India).

The 16 teams that qualified from Qualifier 1 are:

Qualifier 2: Europe and Asia (May 9)

The second qualifier, held on May 9 also on Lichess.org, featured 36 university teams from the Europe and Asia region and proved equally competitive. Ural State Mining University finished first with 13 match points and 24.5 game points, ahead of Universitas Gunadarma (Indonesia) in second and SRMIST (India) in third.

Ural State Mining University entered the event with the highest average rating in the field at 2524. The team included GMs Arseniy Nesterov (2599), Rudik Makarian (2551), and Sergei Lobanov (2515), as well as IM Leya Garifullina (2431).

Universitas Gunadarma represented Indonesia with a strong lineup consisting of IM Gilbert Elroy Tarigan (2421), IM Aditya Bagus Arfan (2370), FM Fabian Glen Mariano (2361), and WIM Diajeng Theresa Singgih (2308). SRMIST, which finished third overall, was led by IM Harsh Suresh (2435) and GM Raahul V S (2402).

The 16 teams that qualified from Qualifier 2 are:

With both Swiss qualifiers complete, attention now turns to Stage 2, the Online Knockout, scheduled for May 16-17 on Lichess.org. The 32 qualified teams will compete in a knockout format, with the top eight teams earning spots in the over-the-board finals in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The finals, which will take place from August 3-9, 2026, will bring together the eight surviving teams advancing from the knockout stage, alongside eight wildcard teams invited by FIDE and the organisers, competing for the championship title.

The broadcast of the knockout stage will be available at: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com/live

For full tournament information, regulations and live results, visit the official championship website: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com

]]> World University Team Chess Championship: Registration deadline extended https://www.fide.com/world-university-team-chess-championship-in-almaty-kazakhstan-last-call-to-register/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:06:24 +0000 https://www.fide.com/?p=45681

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Due to the strong interest in the tournament from universities worldwide, and considering that additional time is required to complete all stages of the registration process, it has been decided to extend the registration period. The new deadline for applications is April 29, 2026, 11:59 PM (UTC).

The best university teams will meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this August to compete for the title of FIDE World University Team Chess Champion.

The World University Team Chess Championship is governed by FIDE and organized by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, together with the Almaty city administration and with support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Sports and Tourism.

The competition has three stages. It begins with Online Swiss Qualifiers, followed by an Online Knockout stage. The over-the-board finals will then take place in Almaty from August 3–10, 2026.

There will be two Online Swiss Qualifiers. The registration deadlines are:

  • April 29, 2026, 11:59 PM UTC for teams participating in Online Swiss Qualifier 1
  • May 4, 2026, 11:59 PM UTC for teams participating in Online Swiss Qualifier 2

The finals will feature 16 teams – eight that qualify from the knockout stage and eight wild cards invited by FIDE and the organizer.

The tournament features an inclusive team concept – each match will be played on four boards, and lineups must include at least one female and at least one male player.

Participation is open to university teams with players born between January 1, 2001 and  December 31, 2008 who are currently enrolled in at least one class at the university.

The winning team will become the FIDE World University Team Champion and receive a prize of €25,000. The team finishing second will be awarded €15,000, while the third-place team will receive €10,000.

The entry fee is €100 per team. However, each national chess federation may nominate one university to participate free of charge. Payment details will be published on the tournament website.

Team registration is available here: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com 

Among the registered teams there are many well-known universities, including:

  • Universidad de El Salvador
  • The University of Texas at Dallas
  • University of Auckland
  • Riga Technical University
  • Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani)
  • The Egyptian Chinese University
  • Universiti Malaya
  • University of Dhaka
  • Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
  • Webster University
  • Samarkand State Pedagogical Institute
  • École Polytechnique de Ouagadougou

For more information, please email worlduniversity@fide.com.

Official website: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com

]]> World University Team Chess Championship to be held in Kazakhstan https://www.fide.com/world-university-team-chess-championship-to-be-held-in-kazakhstan/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:42:00 +0000 https://www.fide.com/?p=44932

Best university teams will meet in Almaty this August to compete for the title of FIDE World University Team Chess Champion.

The event is governed by FIDE and organised by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, together with Almaty city administration and support from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Sports and Tourism.

The competition has three stages. It begins with Online Swiss Qualifiers, followed by an Online Knockout stage. The over-the-board finals will then take place in Almaty from 3 to 10 August 2026.

There will be two online Swiss Qualifiers. The registration deadlines are 27 April 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC for teams participating in Online Swiss Qualifier 1, and 4 May 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC for teams participating in Online Swiss Qualifier 2.

The finals will feature 16 teams – eight that have qualified from the knockout, and eight wild cards, invited by FIDE and the organiser.

The tournament features an inclusive team concept – each match will be played on four boards and lineups must include at least one female and at least one male player.

Participation is open to university teams, with players born between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2008 and currently enrolled in at least one class at the university.

The winning team will become the FIDE World University Team Champion and receive a prize of €25,000. The team finishing second will be awarded €15,000, while third-place will receive €10,000.

“In the year which FIDE has dedicated to chess in education, the first University World Team Championship is a significant milestone in promoting our sport. We have seen chess enjoy a sharp rise in popularity among younger audiences and this is an opportunity for the game to get more people involved. FIDE is fortunate to have the Kazakhstan Chess Federation as our partners and we are looking forward to a successful event,” said Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President.

“Kazakhstan has already established itself as a reliable venue for international FIDE tournaments. Hosting the first-ever World University Team Chess Championship will be a special honour and responsibility for us. Events of this kind open new horizons for inter-university cooperation: they create a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the development of long-term partnerships between leading universities around the world,” said Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has become a regional hub for education and science, and staging a championship of this scale is yet another confirmation of that progress.

“We are grateful to our President for creating all the conditions necessary for tournaments of this level in Kazakhstan, and to the Akimat of Almaty for its unwavering support of the national chess movement. For our part, we will make every effort to ensure that the upcoming tournament is organised at the highest level,” Turlov added.

Team registration is held here: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com 

For more information, please email worlduniversity@fide.com.

Official website: https://worlduniversities2026.fide.com

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