{"id":37373,"date":"2025-08-07T00:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T00:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/?p=37373"},"modified":"2025-08-07T07:59:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T07:59:15","slug":"velammal-mhs-school-india-takes-gold-at-2025-world-schools-team-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/velammal-mhs-school-india-takes-gold-at-2025-world-schools-team-championship\/","title":{"rendered":"Velammal MHS School (India) takes gold at 2025 World Schools Team Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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After eight exciting rounds, the 2025 World Schools Team Championship wrapped up today in Alexandria, Virginia. Set on the beautiful campus of Episcopal High School, the event brought together some of the most talented young chess players from around the world. Rising above the rest with a perfect score, Velammal MHS School from India claimed the gold medal, winning all eight of their matches.<\/p>

With India continuing to make waves across all levels and formats of chess, this victory adds yet another title to the country\u2019s growing collection. Velammal MHS is no stranger to success\u2014former students include Grandmasters R. Praggnanandhaa and Leon Mendonca. So it came as little surprise when the team entered the final round with the top spot already secured.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The race for second place was much closer, with seven teams still in contention heading into the final round. Kazakhstan\u2019s National School of Physics and Mathematics ultimately clinched the silver medal, finishing with the same number of match points as The Harker School (USA) but edging them out on tiebreaks. The Harker School earned a well-deserved third place, just ahead of Astana 2 RSPM, who narrowly missed the podium.<\/p>

Top 10 Final Standings<\/strong>:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Complete final standings<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>

In addition to team honors, board medals were awarded to players who delivered outstanding individual performances. Three participants finished with perfect scores (8 out of 8)\u2014a remarkable achievement: Imangali Akhilbay (KAZ \u2013 National School of Physics and Mathematics) on board two (pictured below, left), Edisa Berdibaeva (KGZ \u2013 School-Gymnasium No. 11, Karakol) on board three, and Pranav K. P. (IND \u2013 Velammal MHS School), who played reserve on board five.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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After the final moves were played, players were treated to fun and educational excursions in Washington, D.C. They visited the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum \u2014two of the city\u2019s most iconic landmarks. With most teams heading home the next day, these outings were the perfect way to cap off their time in the U.S.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The week came to a close with a vibrant closing ceremony in the auditorium. The evening kicked off with music, audience engagement, and a warm welcome from the host, followed by the U.S. national anthem. David Hater, FIDE delegate and Executive Board Member of the U.S. Chess Federation, gave opening remarks before the FIDE anthem played.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich then took the stage to address the audience, extending his congratulations to the champions and gratitude to all who contributed to the event\u2019s success: \u201cI want to start by congratulating the winners on their great result! Your success is well-deserved, and I hope you leave here with not only medals but also with experiences that will encourage you to achieve more in life. And to all the other teams and their coaches, thank you for the passion and sportsmanship you showed. You have all made this event into a true example of what chess is all about; sportsmanship, friendship, creativity and progress.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A highlight reel followed, showing memorable moments from the week and drawing cheers as players spotted themselves and their teams on screen. Chief Arbiter Alex McFarlane then addressed the crowd, thanked the officials and arbiters, and confirmed everything was in order to begin the awards.<\/p>

Board medals were handed out one by one, with FIDE Vice Presidents and officials joining the Chief Arbiter to present the honours. Tournament Director Nadzeya Krauchuk took the stage next and introduced a second video, this one capturing the off-the-board moments that defined the spirit of the event. (All videos and content can be found on the official FIDE YouTube channel<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Then came the big moment: the team awards. The top three schools were announced, with Velammal MHS School stepping onto the top of the podium as confetti filled the air and the Indian national anthem played. It was a joyful celebration of a week of dedication and hard work. Flags were raised, as FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich returned to the stage to officially declare the 2025 World Schools Team Championship closed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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As the curtain closes on this remarkable event, what remains are the connections, memories, and achievements shared by students from across the globe. The 2025 World Schools Team Championship will be remembered not only for its competitive excellence, but also for its message of unity, friendship, and the future of chess.<\/p>

Written by Charlize van Zyl<\/p>

Photos: Michal Walusza<\/p>

Official website:\u00a0worldschoolteam2025.fide.com\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After eight exciting rounds, the 2025 World Schools Team Championship wrapped up today in Alexandria, Virginia. Set on the beautiful campus of Episcopal High School, the event brought together some of the most talented young chess players from around the world. Rising above the rest with a perfect score, Velammal MHS School from India claimed the gold medal, winning all eight of their matches. With India continuing to make waves across all levels and formats of chess, this victory adds yet another title to the country\u2019s growing collection. Velammal MHS is no stranger to success\u2014former students include Grandmasters R. Praggnanandhaa and Leon Mendonca. So it came as little surprise when the team entered the final round with the top spot already secured. The race for second place was much closer, with seven teams still in contention heading into the final round. Kazakhstan\u2019s National School of Physics and Mathematics ultimately clinched the silver medal, finishing with the same number of match points as The Harker School (USA) but edging them out on tiebreaks. The Harker School earned a well-deserved third place, just ahead of Astana 2 RSPM, who narrowly missed the podium. Top 10 Final Standings: Complete final standings\u00a0 In addition to team honors, board medals were awarded to players who delivered outstanding individual performances. Three participants finished with perfect scores (8 out of 8)\u2014a remarkable achievement: Imangali Akhilbay (KAZ \u2013 National School of Physics and Mathematics) on board two (pictured below, left), Edisa Berdibaeva (KGZ \u2013 School-Gymnasium No. 11, Karakol) on board three, and Pranav K. P. (IND \u2013 Velammal MHS School), who played reserve on board five. After the final moves were played, players were treated to fun and educational excursions in Washington, D.C. They visited the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum \u2014two of the city\u2019s most iconic landmarks. With most teams heading home the next day, these outings were the perfect way to cap off their time in the U.S. The week came to a close with a vibrant closing ceremony in the auditorium. The evening kicked off with music, audience engagement, and a warm welcome from the host, followed by the U.S. national anthem. David Hater, FIDE delegate and Executive Board Member of the U.S. Chess Federation, gave opening remarks before the FIDE anthem played. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich then took the stage to address the audience, extending his congratulations to the champions and gratitude to all who contributed to the event\u2019s success: \u201cI want to start by congratulating the winners on their great result! Your success is well-deserved, and I hope you leave here with not only medals but also with experiences that will encourage you to achieve more in life. And to all the other teams and their coaches, thank you for the passion and sportsmanship you showed. You have all made this event into a true example of what chess is all about; sportsmanship, friendship, creativity and progress.\u201d A highlight reel followed, showing memorable moments from the week and drawing cheers as players spotted themselves and their teams on screen. Chief Arbiter Alex McFarlane then addressed the crowd, thanked the officials and arbiters, and confirmed everything was in order to begin the awards. Board medals were handed out one by one, with FIDE Vice Presidents and officials joining the Chief Arbiter to present the honours. Tournament Director Nadzeya Krauchuk took the stage next and introduced a second video, this one capturing the off-the-board moments that defined the spirit of the event. (All videos and content can be found on the official FIDE YouTube channel). Then came the big moment: the team awards. The top three schools were announced, with Velammal MHS School stepping onto the top of the podium as confetti filled the air and the Indian national anthem played. It was a joyful celebration of a week of dedication and hard work. Flags were raised, as FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich returned to the stage to officially declare the 2025 World Schools Team Championship closed. As the curtain closes on this remarkable event, what remains are the connections, memories, and achievements shared by students from across the globe. The 2025 World Schools Team Championship will be remembered not only for its competitive excellence, but also for its message of unity, friendship, and the future of chess. Written by Charlize van Zyl Photos: Michal Walusza Official website:\u00a0worldschoolteam2025.fide.com\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":37391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[401],"regular":[],"sticky-post":[358],"class_list":["post-37373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chess-news","tag-world-schools-team-championship","sticky-post-sticky"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37373"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37395,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37373\/revisions\/37395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37373"},{"taxonomy":"regular","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/regular?post=37373"},{"taxonomy":"sticky-post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sticky-post?post=37373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}