The final stage of the inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship has commenced in Almaty. At the same time, the city is hosting a match between the Kazakhstan Youth National Team and the World Youth Team, El.kz reports citing the press service of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
The university championship brings together teams from 16 higher education institutions. The competition is taking place from 4 to 9 August at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, in accordance with the official FIDE schedule.
Participating institutions include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Peking University, the University of Melbourne, and other leading universities from around the world. Kazakhstan is represented by the Kazakh Academy of Sport and Tourism, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, and Almaty Management University.
“Today, Kazakhstan is becoming a meeting point for the world’s strongest young chess players representing leading higher education institutions. This championship is not only a competition for medals but also a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, stronger inter-university cooperation, and the development of long-term international partnerships,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balaeva.
Based on the average FIDE ratings of participating players, the leading contenders include Saint Louis University, Ural State Mining University, and The University of Texas at Dallas. The Kazakh Academy of Sport and Tourism ranks fourth by average team rating.
Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek highlighted the development of chess education in Kazakhstan. More than 200 students from five pedagogical universities have completed the “Chess Teacher” training programme, while chess-related academic courses are currently offered at 31 universities across the country.
“Chess is not only an intellectual game but also an effective educational tool that fosters critical thinking, independence, responsibility, and strategic planning skills,” Sayasat Nurbek said.
Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, identified university chess as one of the Federation’s strategic priorities. According to him, university competitions help establish networks that subsequently evolve into academic, educational, and international cooperation projects.
“15 hundred years later, the game has returned to the place from which it once continued its journey across the world. The fact that Kazakhstan and Almaty are hosting this historic milestone today speaks more powerfully than words about the strength of our country and our Federation,” Timur Turlov said.
The championship opened with a group stage, after which the top eight teams will advance to the knockout phase. Each match is played on four boards, with every team required to field both male and female players. The tournament offers a total prize fund of €50,000, with the champions receiving half of that amount, according to FIDE.
Concurrently, on 4 and 5 August, Almaty is hosting the match between the Kazakhstan Youth National Team and the World Youth Team. Players aged 8 to 18 compete separately in the boys’ and girls’ categories, first in rapid chess and subsequently in blitz.
The total prize fund for the youth match amounts to KZT 15 mln. The two events are jointly organized by FIDE, the relevant ministries of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, and the Almaty City Administration.
