Two International Teams Chess Tournaments Launch in Almaty
Two International Chess Tournaments Launch in Almaty
04.08.2026
Two international chess tournaments have kicked off in Almaty: the finals of the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship and a youth match between the Kazakhstaniand the world teams. Today, Almaty hosted the opening ceremony of both events. From August 4 to 9, teams from 16 universities across the globe will compete here, including institutions with centuries-old academic history and rich chess traditions, such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. The chess clubs of these universities have existed for more than a century and a half. Their teams represent not only leading educational institutions, but an entire era in the history of university chess. Kazakhstan is represented by teams from three universities: the Kazakh National University of Sports, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, and Almaty Management University.
“Today, Kazakhstan becomes the meeting place for the strongest young chess players representing the world’s leading educational institutions. Hosting this championship in Kazakhstan is a recognition of the development level of domestic chess and our country’s capacity to host major international intellectual sports events. Head of State Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev pays special attention to the development of chess, viewing it not only as a sport, but also as a crucial part of intellectual culture, education, and the upbringing of the younger generation. Today, young people meet at the chessboard who will in the future advance technology, the economy, public administration, and civil institutions of their countries. Therefore, this championship is not only a battle for medals, but also a platform for communication, knowledge exchange, strengthening ties between universities, and forming long-term partnerships between countries,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva in a video address to the participants.
“Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sayasat Nurbek noted that in the country consistent work continues to develop chess education and train teaching personnel. As part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Chess for 2023–2027, a Minor program titled “Chess Teacher” has been introduced in pedagogical universities, aimed at building additional professional competencies among future teachers.
“Chess is not only an intellectual game, but also an effective educational tool that develops critical thinking, independence, responsibility, and the capacity for strategic planning. That is why it is fundamentally important for us to train educators capable of professionally integrating chess education into the learning process. Today, this work is already yielding concrete results: more than 200 students from five pedagogical universities have completed training under the ‘Chess Teacher’ Minor program, and educational programs that include chess education disciplines are being implemented in 31 universities across the country. The next important stage was the opening of the KazChessLab educational and methodological laboratory at QyzPU. It will become a center for developing modern teaching methods, providing scientific and methodological support for chess education, and training a new generation of teachers. This is a contribution not only to improving the quality of pedagogical education, but also to developing the human capital and intellectual potential of our country,” the minister said.
Representatives of universities from all continents meet at a single venue. Hosting the tournament continues Kazakhstan’s large-scale cooperation with FIDE. In November 2025, Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting with representatives of FIDE. The parties discussed the further development of cooperation, holding major international competitions in Kazakhstan, and implementing joint chess projects. The President of Kazakhstan emphasized that chess is not only a sport, but also an important part of intellectual culture, upbringing, and education. Special attention in the country is paid to the development of chess infrastructure and the promotion of the game among children and youth.
President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation Timur Turlov emphasized that holding the tournament in Almaty confirms the position of Kazakhstan and the national federation in the global chess movement, while the development of student chess is a key priority, as far as the university environment helps to form connections that reach far beyond sports.
“We know from history that chess was born in India, gained strength in Persia, and spread across the world along numerous trade routes, one of which passed right here, at the foot of the Almaty mountains. Fifteen hundred years later, the game has returned to where it once journeyed onward. And the fact that Kazakhstan and Almaty are hosting this historic milestone today speaks louder than any words of the strength of our country and our federation, which has rightfully become one of the locomotives of world chess. At the same time, the development of student chess is one of our top priorities, because it is in the university environment today that ties and acquaintances are forged that go far beyond the chessboard and continue in science, education, and joint projects around the world,” stated President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation Timur Turlov.
Deputy Akim of Almaty Nurlan Abdrakhim noted that Almaty is justifiably considered a student city, home to more than 236,000 students, making it symbolic that it is hosting a championship uniting youth from different countries of the world.
“Almaty can rightfully be called a student city: today, more than 236,000 students study here. It is one of the largest educational and youth centers in the country, where leading universities are concentrated and opportunities are created for study, development, sports, and realizing new ideas. Therefore, it is especially symbolic that Almaty is hosting a championship that brings together students from different countries of the world. We see that more and more young people are choosing an active lifestyle, engaging in sports, participating in competitions, and striving to combine their studies with physical and intellectual development. It is especially meaningful when competitions bring together students from different countries; today, students from the world’s leading universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and others have arrived here. Such competitions give young people the opportunity not only to excel in sports, but also to communicate, exchange experience, and get to know each other’s culture and traditions. I am confident that this championship will be a bright event for the city, and its participants will take home not only sporting achievements, but also wonderful impressions of Almaty,” said Deputy Akim of Almaty Nurlan Abdrakhim.
The following universities are participating in the finals of the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship (listed according to the average classical (Standard) FIDE ratings of the team members as of August 1):
1. Saint Louis University (USA): 2577;
2. Ural State Mining University (Yekaterinburg, FIDE):2514;
3. University of Texas at Dallas (USA): 2441;
4. Kazakh National University of Sports (Astana): 2420;
5. National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) (Greece): 2393;
6. Universitas Gunadarma (Depok, Indonesia): 2358;
7. Webster University (St. Louis, USA): 2223;
8. Universidad de Chile (Santiago, Chile): 2152;
9. University of Cambridge (UK): 2136;
10. The University of Melbourne (Australia): 2116;
11. Harvard University (USA): 2099;
12. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Farabi University) (Almaty): 2064;
13. University of Oxford (UK): 2039;
14. Almaty Management University: 2024;
15. University of Pretoria (South Africa): 1909;
16. Peking University (China): 1690.
The teams are divided into four groups of equal strength and will play in a team-versus-team round-robin format to determine the top two teams in each group, followed by a single-elimination playoff stage.
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