The First Moves Are Made: The World School Championship 2025 Kicks Off in the U.S. Capital
Тeam spirit, endurance challenges, and the first championship leaders come to the forefront.
In the heart of the United States, in Washington, D.C., the World Schools Team Championship 2025 has officially begun. The first two rounds were filled with concentration and the spirit of healthy competition.
Distinguished guests who inspire and empower the global chess and education community made the ceremonial first move: Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE, Timur Turlov, President of ISFC, Donald Rojas Fernández, Minister of Sport and Recreation of Costa Rica and Hon. Chad Blackman, J.P., M.P., Minister of Educational Transformation of Barbados, Member of Parliament for St. James North. This symbolic moment marked the start of the World Schools Team Championship.
At the top of the starting rankings is Kazakhstan’s National School of Physics and Mathematics, led by newly titled Grandmaster Edgar Mamedov, with a formidable average rating of 2229. Close behind is India’s Velammal MHS School, averaging 2210. The host country, the United States, is represented by four schools. Leading the American contingent is University High School, which holds third place in the starting rankings with an average team rating of 2003.
The tournament’s first round began promptly at 11:30. Ceremonial first moves were made on the top four boards by distinguished guests: FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International School Chess Federation Timur Turlov, Minister of Educational Transformation of Barbados Hon. Chad Blackman, and Minister of Sport and Recreation of Costa Rica Donald Rojas Fernández.
In the opening round, the top-seeded teams performed as expected, securing confident victories over their lower-ranked opponents. However, the second round saw the competition intensify as more closely matched teams faced off across the boards. By the end of the day, 11 teams had secured wins in both rounds and concluded Day 1 with a perfect score of 4 match points.
KAZ - National School of Physics and Mathemat
IND - Velammal MHS School
ENG - Hampton
KAZ - Seed Educational Complex
NZL - Wellington College
SRI - Royal College, Colombo
KAZ - Astana 2 RSPM
USA - The Harker School
SGP - Raffles Institution
GRE - 1st General Lyceum of Xanthi
AUT - Privates Gymnasium Sacre Coeur Wien
Moment of the day
SUI - Kantonsschule Alpenquai Luzern SGP vs Raffles Institution
Board 4: Infanger, Philip vs Loh, Yang Hao
Our moment of the day comes from board 4 in the match between Singapore’s Raffles Institution and Switzerland’s Kantonsschule Alpenquai Luzern. The match delivered one of the day’s biggest surprises, as the 19th-seeded Raffles Institution defeated the fifth seed with a commanding 3:1 score.
The spotlight moment unfolded in a tense endgame after a rollercoaster battle where both sides had chances. In the critical position, White played 60.Kd5??, a decisive mistake that allowed Black to break through with 60…Kg6 61.Ke5 h5 62.gxh5 Kxh5. With the white king cut off, it could no longer stop Black’s advancing passed pawn, especially with the black king perfectly placed to shepherd it forward.
Instead, the correct idea was 60.Kf3, keeping the white king in front of the pawns, and ready for opposition - a key principle in king and pawn endgames. One possible line would be 60…Kg6 61.Kg3 h5 62.gxh5 Kxh5 63.Kh3, where the white king holds its ground, denying Black any meaningful progress.
Rounds 3 and 4 will take place on Monday, August 4, and after 8 rounds, the tournament champions will be crowned on August 6. As the competition unfolds, so too does a unique celebration of youth, talent, and international friendship through chess.
Each match became a true test of endurance, focus, and teamwork. The games were filled with great anticipation, as every move had the potential to change the outcome of the entire encounter.
The evening following the first rounds radiated lively enthusiasm, as a series of sports activities took place on campus. All participants joined in with joyful spirit and enjoyment, ready to create new wonderful memories.
Two rounds have already passed. Ahead lie six more thrilling rounds and two more days of intellectual battles, during which every decision could have a significant impact.
Teams are preparing for new challenges, analyzing past games, and approaching the next matches with renewed focus and determination!
The spotlight moment unfolded in a tense endgame after a rollercoaster battle where both sides had chances. In the critical position, White played 60.Kd5??, a decisive mistake that allowed Black to break through with 60…Kg6 61.Ke5 h5 62.gxh5 Kxh5. With the white king cut off, it could no longer stop Black’s advancing passed pawn, especially with the black king perfectly placed to shepherd it forward.
Instead, the correct idea was 60.Kf3, keeping the white king in front of the pawns, and ready for opposition - a key principle in king and pawn endgames. One possible line would be 60…Kg6 61.Kg3 h5 62.gxh5 Kxh5 63.Kh3, where the white king holds its ground, denying Black any meaningful progress.
Rounds 3 and 4 will take place on Monday, August 4, and after 8 rounds, the tournament champions will be crowned on August 6. As the competition unfolds, so too does a unique celebration of youth, talent, and international friendship through chess.
Each match became a true test of endurance, focus, and teamwork. The games were filled with great anticipation, as every move had the potential to change the outcome of the entire encounter.
The evening following the first rounds radiated lively enthusiasm, as a series of sports activities took place on campus. All participants joined in with joyful spirit and enjoyment, ready to create new wonderful memories.
Two rounds have already passed. Ahead lie six more thrilling rounds and two more days of intellectual battles, during which every decision could have a significant impact.
Teams are preparing for new challenges, analyzing past games, and approaching the next matches with renewed focus and determination!
