Eight Teams Advance to Knockout Stage of World University Team Championship

The inaugural FIDE World University Team Championship Finals concluded its group stage in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with eight teams advancing to the knockout phase after three days of competition.

Teams that qualified include Ural State Mining University and Harvard University from Pool A, Saint Louis University and Universidad de Chile from Pool B, The University of Texas at Dallas and National Technical University of Athens from Pool C, and Kazakh National University of Sports alongside Universitas Gunadarma from Pool D. The knockout stage will feature matchups such as KNUS against Harvard and Saint Louis University facing the National Technical University of Athens.

FIDE General Secretary Łukasz Turlej highlighted the championship's significance for chess in education, noting its role in fostering international connections among students. Participants from various universities expressed the value of the experience, emphasizing the lessons learned and friendships formed, regardless of their performance in the tournament.