FIDE ISCF World Schools 2026 Rounds 3–4: Velammal MHS School tied for second
Day 2 of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 (Asian Continental Stage) saw thrilling action for the Indian teams. Velammal MHS School faced a tough loss in round 3 against Kurchatov School. But they bounced back in round 4 with a dominant 4:0 win. The team is tied for second place with three others. Duolingo Dreamers and Kalinga Institute of Social Science experienced mixed results, scoring their first wins in round 3 but facing setbacks in round 4 against strong opponents. Round 5 starts at 11 AM local time today. Photos: Kaz Chess Federation
Highs & lows for the Indian teams
The FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 (Asian Continental Stage) is currently going on in Almaty, Kazakhstan. After the first two rounds, Velammal MHS School was the joint leader of the tournament. Day 2, however, unfolded as a mix of highs and lows for the Indian teams. Velammal showed great fighting spirit after a setback in round 3, while Duolingo Dreamers and Kalinga Institute of Social Science found their footing with breakthrough wins before facing tough challenges again.
Round 3
After the difficult first two rounds, Duolingo Dreamers and Kalinga Institute of Social Science finally scored their first victory in round 3. The Kalinga Institute of Social Science team secured its first tournament victory with a 3 : 1 match score against Raffles Girls’ Primary School. Monalisa Bhoi, Mohini Naik and Humeswari Mallik delivered solid wins to the team. Shreeya Nayak held a solid draw to ensure the team did not drop points.
Duolingo Dreamers team earned their first win of the tournament, defeating Raffles Girls’ Primary School with a 3 : 1 score. Aradhana Kumari and Sunaina Sharma scored the wins for the team, while Kajal Sahu and Vanshika Maurya put up a good fight but lost their games. This victory gave the team a much-needed boost and momentum for the next rounds.
In Round 3, Velammal MHS School faced a formidable challenge against Kurchatov School (Russia). After a strong start in the tournament, where they had scored 2 full points in the first two rounds, the team struggled against the much higher-rated Russian side, ultimately losing 0.5 : 3.5. Athvik M managed to hold Masaeva, Iliana In to a draw, while the rest of the team players suffered a loss.
Round 4
In Round 4, Velammal MHS School bounced back strongly after its tough loss in the previous round. They delivered a convincing 4 : 0 victory against SPSC Malibagh (Bangladesh).
The Duolingo Dreamers faced a tough encounter against Marvellous E.B.S., ultimately losing 1 : 3. Vanshika Maurya delivered the team’s only win on board 4. The team has budding players, so despite the loss, the team has learned valuable lessons from the matches.
The Kalinga Institute of Social Science faced a challenging matchup against Pushkin School and was defeated 1 : 3.
Standings after 4 rounds
Rk. | Team | Games | + | = | - | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 28 | 13,5 | |
2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 28 | 12 | |
3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 12,5 | |
4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 11,5 | |
5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 11 | |
6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 11 | |
7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 8,5 | |
8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 10 | |
9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 7,5 | |
10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 8,5 |
Pairing for round 5
No. | Team | Pts. | Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | UZB-WISDOM SCHOOL | 12 | KAZ-SEED UNIKER SCHOOL | 13½ |
2 | SRI-RAHULA COLLEGE | 11 | RUS-KURCHATOV SCHOOL | 12½ |
3 | IND-VELAMMAL MHS SCHOOL | 11½ | KAZ-RPMS ALMATY | 11 |
4 | CHN-BASHU SECONDARY SCHOOL | 10 | PHI-FEU DILIMAN | 8½ |
5 | SRI-MALIYADEVA COLLEGE | 7½ | NZL-ACG SUNDERLAND | 8½ |
6 | KAZ-SCHOOL LYCEUM 173 | 9½ | KGZ-LOMONOSOV SCHOOL | 8 |
7 | MAS-SJK(C) PIN HWA 1 | 7 | BAN-SPSC MALIBAGH | 8 |
8 | TJK-SECONDARY SCHOOL №6 | 8½ | TKM-TKM-RUS PUSHKIN SCHOOL | 7½ |
9 | MGL-BOLOVSROL SECONDARY SCHOOL | 8 | KGZ-SCHOOL NO. 70 | 5½ |
10 | NEP-MARVELLOUS E.B.S. | 5½ | HKG-ST. JOSEPH'S ANGLO-CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOL | 5 |
11 | UZB-M AL-KHWARIZMI IT SCHOOL | 8½ | IND-KALINGA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
12 | PAK-LEARNING ALLIENCE-A | 6½ | IND-DUOLINGO DREAMERS | 4 |
13 | AUS-CARLTON GARDENS PM | 5½ | SGP-RAFFLES GIRLS' PRIMARY SCHOOL | 1 |
Some cool photos from the event!
Schedule
Important links
