A New Route to the World Final: Why the WSTC Is Expanding into Africa

The Cape Town stage will offer a test of how the geography of school chess is changing. The global system is gradually moving beyond stand-alone international tournaments toward continental qualifiers, school-based programs and digital platforms. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF) are building the organizational framework, national federations are fielding teams, and private capital is financing competitions and technology infrastructure.

Under the new World Schools Team Championship format, Africa will host a continental stage of the tournament for the first time. The competition is scheduled for July 6–11 in South Africa, with school teams nominated by national federations across the continent invited to participate. The winning team will secure a direct place in the Grand Final, scheduled for December. Four continental champions – from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe – will compete in the final.

The final field has yet to be announced. The tournament’s significance, however, will be determined not only by its expected scale but also by its place in the World Schools Team Championship’s new structure. Instead of staging a single international tournament, the organizers are building a system of continental competitions through which school teams from different regions can qualify for a common final.

The first stage of the 2026 cycle was held in Almaty in April and featured 26 school teams from 19 Asian countries. Wisdom School of Tashkent won the tournament, followed by Kurchatov School of Moscow and Velammal MHS of Chennai. After the African stage, the cycle will continue in the Americas and Europe. The Americas stage is scheduled for August 11–16 in San José, Costa Rica.

The South African tournament is therefore not an isolated competition but one part of a wider international circuit. If the format proves sustainable, school chess will gain a clearer progression – from national and regional competitions to continental qualification and, ultimately, a world final.

From the Aktau Tournament to a Continental Model

The inaugural World Schools Team Championship was held in Aktau in the summer of 2023 and brought together more than 400 school-age players from 53 countries. In September 2024, the FIDE General Assembly supported granting ISCF the status of an affiliated organization. In the new cycle, ISCF is organizing the championship alongside FIDE. The federation is chaired by Timur Turlov, founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.

The transition to a continental system reflects a broader FIDE objective: expanding the geography of chess beyond countries with long-established tournament and coaching infrastructure. The Cape Town event should reveal not only the strength of the region’s leading school teams but also the ability of national federations, schools and partners to build a sustainable qualification system.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich has linked the launch of the African and Americas stages to the development of chess infrastructure and school programs in both regions.

“These regions are emerging as chess hubs with enormous potential. In recent years, we have seen significant progress in their chess infrastructure and school programs, and these championships will help accelerate that growth further,” he said.

According to Dvorkovich, FIDE intends to continue supporting the regions as part of its strategy to expand the game beyond its traditional centers.

Africa, however, is not a single, uniform educational or sporting landscape. Conditions in South Africa, North Africa, East Africa and West Africa can vary considerably in terms of school funding, access to coaches, digital infrastructure and the traditions of national chess federations. The true scale of the Cape Town stage will therefore become clearer once the final list of participating countries and schools is published.

Kazakhstan’s Experience

In recent years, Kazakhstan has become one example of how international tournaments can be combined with school programs and support from a national federation. According to FIDE, the Chess in Education program reaches more than 1,500 schools and approximately 60,000 students, while around 3,500 teachers have also been trained.

Kazakhstan’s experience matters not as a ready-made model to be copied, but as an illustration of the combination of elements required. School lessons alone are insufficient without tournaments and trained teachers. International championships have limited impact without a broad base of young players. Private funding cannot replace a government’s education policy.

The balance of these elements will differ across African countries. In some markets, public schools may provide the foundation; in others, private institutions, national federations or civil society organizations may play the leading role. The Cape Town stage may give these initiatives greater visibility, but their sustainability will be determined by the work that continues after the competition ends.

Private Capital Between Sport and Strategy

One of the key private participants in this emerging system is Freedom Holding Corp., an international fintech group operating in 22 countries and serving approximately 14 million clients across its digital ecosystem. According to the company, it allocates more than $15 million annually to the development and promotion of chess, works with FIDE, and supports the organization and sponsorship of international events ranging from the World Rapid and Blitz Championships to corporate and school competitions.

Timur Turlov’s role also extends beyond that of a corporate sponsor. He has led the Kazakhstan Chess Federation since January 2023 and the International School Chess Federation since September 2024.

Turlov has described the expansion of continental school championships into Africa and the Americas as a step toward increasing youth engagement and building sustainable chess ecosystems. That statement reflects his role as head of ISCF as well as the position of Freedom Holding as a corporate partner of the championship. The sustainability of such an ecosystem will depend on how funding is distributed, the transparency of its governance and the involvement of local organizations.

A notable extension of that strategy came with Freedom Holding Corp.’s acquisition of Germany-based ChessBase. Founded in Hamburg in 1986, the platform develops chess-game databases, analytical software, training products and online services, and also operates a chess news outlet. Its databases and software are widely used in professional preparation.

Freedom expects to invest approximately €5 million in the further development of ChessBase. The company said the funding would be directed toward modernizing the platform, expanding its technology architecture, introducing artificial intelligence and integrating ChessBase into the group’s broader digital ecosystem.