The European qualifying stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 has begun in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, marking the last of four continental events in this year’s championship cycle. The tournament features 27 school teams representing 25 federations.
Newly elected FIDE President Timur Turlov addressed the opening ceremony during his first official visit since taking office. He also announced plans to allocate nearly $1 million a year to chess education in schools, with funding intended to support teacher training, educational materials and chess equipment.
First Official Visit: Armenia
Timur Turlov was elected FIDE president on September 26 at the federation’s General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He defeated Wadim Rosenstein 110–85 in the second round of voting, succeeding Arkady Dvorkovich, who had led FIDE since 2018. At 38, Timur Turlov became the second-youngest president in FIDE’s history, after Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who was 33 when he was elected in 1995.
Within days of his election, chess in education had already emerged as one of the priorities of his presidency.
“As part of the new FIDE Development Fund, we plan to allocate nearly $1 million a year to the development of chess education around the world. These funds will help national federations train teachers and provide schools with educational materials and chess equipment,” Turlov said at the ceremony.
Timur Turlov said the aim was not only to develop future champions but also to introduce more children to chess at school, help them make new friends and make the game part of their education. Transcript of Turlov’s speech
The announcement came in a country where chess has long had a formal place in the education system. In 2011, Armenia introduced chess as a compulsory subject for students in grades 2-4 in public schools. The Armenian State Pedagogical University is also home to the Chess Scientific Research Institute, which studies the use of chess in education, develops teaching methods and supports teacher training.
At the opening ceremony, Timur Turlov pointed to Armenia’s experience as an example for other countries and said that the development of chess in schools would be one of the priorities of his presidency.
How the European Qualifier Works
The event runs from September 28 to October 3, with tournament play taking place from September 29 to October 2.
The field includes teams from Latvia, Belarus, Estonia, Israel, Slovenia, Slovakia, Georgia, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Hungary, Malta, Türkiye, Poland, Iceland, Cyprus, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Armenia is represented by three teams: Yerevan Basic School No. 77, the Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex and Ayntap Secondary School No. 1.
Each team consists of four players, one reserve and a non-playing captain. Teams must include at least one boy and one girl, with limited exceptions for single-sex schools. Eligible players must have been born between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018.
The competition is being played over eight rounds under the Swiss system. The program also includes lectures, masterclasses, interactive workshops and opportunities for educators to exchange ideas and best practices. Tsaghkadzor will host the international conference “Theory and Practice of Chess Education” on October 1-2.
Continental Stages Already Completed in Asia, Africa and the Americas
The championship began in Almaty in April, where 26 teams from 19 countries competed in the Asian event. Wisdom School of Tashkent won with 16 match points, followed by Kurchatov School of Moscow with 14 and Velammal MHS School of Chennai with 12. A total of 114 children aged 8 to 14 took part.
The African event followed in July in Stellenbosch, South Africa, with 26 teams from 22 countries. Sr. Miriam Duggan Primary School of Uganda won with 14 match points, ahead of Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School of Kenya with 13 and Welgemoed Primary School of South Africa with 11.
In August, 29 teams from 25 countries competed in San José, Costa Rica. Peru’s Saco Oliveros de Lince won the Americas event with 15 out of a possible 16 match points and finished unbeaten. Harvest Park Middle School of the United States placed second, while Crescent Heights Academy of Canada finished third.
Across the four continental events, the championship has drawn teams representing 91 federations: 19 in Asia, 22 in Africa, 25 in the Americas and 25 in Europe. The European qualifier brings this phase of the competition to a close, with the Grand Final scheduled for December 2026.
Chess in Education as a FIDE Priority
Chess in education was one of four main priorities in Turlov’s election platform, alongside digital transformation, financial sustainability and FIDE’s institutional development.
His stated goals include expanding the role of chess in national education systems, making chess instruction more accessible, supporting federations with limited resources and developing more sustainable funding for grassroots programs.
The nearly $1 million in annual funding announced in Tsaghkadzor puts a specific figure on that commitment. Turlov said the money would support teacher training, chess equipment and educational materials for schools.
“This will be one of my key priorities at FIDE during my presidency – to continue developing chess in schools,” he said at the opening of the European stage.
The initiative builds on work already underway at FIDE. Together with the International School Chess Federation, FIDE designated 2026 as the Year of Chess in Education. The World Schools Team Championship also adopted a new format this year, with four continental events followed by a Grand Final in December.
The European qualifier therefore closes the continental phase while also giving Turlov, on his first official visit as FIDE president, a chance to put a specific annual funding figure behind one of the central themes of his election campaign.
Attention will now turn to how the money is distributed among national federations and how effectively it can expand teacher training and access to chess programs in schools.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com
