FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship round 5-6: Wisdom school in sole lead, can Velammal bounce back?
The finals of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 (Asian Continental Stage) are set for today in Almaty. Velammal MHS School and Kalinga Institute of Social Science both started strong in round 5 with 3–1 victories but struggled in round 6, losing most of their games. Duolingo Dreamers endured a tough round 5, going down 0–4, but fought back in round 6 with a 2–2 draw. The stage is now set for an intense final round! Round 7 will start at 10 AM local time, followed by Round 8 at 1:30 PM. Photos: International School Chess Federation
Can Velammal bounce back?
Uzbekistan’s Wisdom School leads the standings after Day 3 of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026, remaining unbeaten with a perfect 6/6 score. Velammal MHS School, who were in contention for the top spot, suffered a setback with their loss against the leaders, denting their chances of staying at the top.
Round 5
Velammal MHS School delivered a good performance in round 5. They defeated RPMS Almaty by a convincing 3–1 margin. WCM Pooja Shree R showcased excellent control to outplay Nesipbay Rakhman. She maintained steady pressure throughout the game and converted her advantage to put the team ahead. However, on the second board, Mithun Pranav lost to Omirserik Alima. However, the Indian side asserted control over the remaining boards. Pavithra R V and Aarav A secured crucial wins to clinch the match.
Kalinga Institute of Social Science defeated Al-Khwarizmi IT School by a 3–1 margin. Monalisa Bhoi scored a convincing win over Muydinov Mustafo on the first board. However, Davronov Islom struck back for the opposition, defeating Shreeya Nayak on board 2. Davronov Islom defeated Shreeya Nayak on board 2. Naik Mohini and Mallik Humeswari both scored important victories to seal the match.
It was a challenging round 5 for Duolingo Dreamers as they went down 0-4 against Learning Alliance A. On the first board, Kajal lost her game because of a queen blunder. Aaradhana Kumari was almost losing a game, but her opponent blundered the knight. Aaradhana converted the opportunity into a win. On the remaining boards, the opposition maintained its advantage. Ahmed Iyaad Moeed defeated Sunaina Sharma, while Mysha Furqan Chaudhry overcame Vanshika Maurya to complete a clean sweep.
Round 6
In round 6, Pooja produced an outstanding performance to defeat FM Abdumajid Botiraliev. She scored the only victory for the Velammal team. Unfortunately, the momentum did not carry through the remaining boards. Pavithra, Aarav and Aathvik lost their respective games.
Kalinga Institute of Social Science lost its match against School No. 70. The team struggled to find its rhythm against strong opposition, with all four boards succumbing to their opponents. On the other hand, round 6 had a balanced encounter for Duolingo Dreamers. They drew 2-2 against Raffles Girls' Primary School. This result allowed Duolingo Dreamers to recover some momentum after previous rounds.
Today marks the final day of the tournament, with round 7 kicking off at 10 AM local time, followed by round 8 at 1:30 PM.
Standings after 6 rounds
Rk. | Team | Games | + | = | - | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | TB4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 113 | 18,5 | |
2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 126,5 | 19,5 | |
3 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 93 | 15,5 | |
4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 85 | 14,5 | |
5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 73 | 14,5 | |
6 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 66 | 15,5 | |
7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 63 | 14 | |
8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 63 | 12 | |
9 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 69 | 12,5 | |
10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 59 | 14 |
Pairing for round 7
No. | Team | Pts. | Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | CHN-BASHU SECONDARY SCHOOL | 14½ | UZB-WISDOM SCHOOL | 18½ |
2 | RUS-KURCHATOV SCHOOL | 19½ | SRI-MALIYADEVA COLLEGE | 12 |
3 | KAZ-SEED UNIKER SCHOOL | 14½ | IND-VELAMMAL MHS SCHOOL | 15½ |
4 | KAZ-RPMS ALMATY | 15½ | SRI-RAHULA COLLEGE | 14 |
5 | PHI-FEU DILIMAN | 12½ | NZL-ACG SUNDERLAND | 14 |
6 | BAN-SPSC MALIBAGH | 11 | MGL-BOLOVSROL SECONDARY SCHOOL | 14 |
7 | KAZ-SCHOOL LYCEUM 173 | 15 | PAK-LEARNING ALLIENCE-A | 13 |
8 | KGZ-LOMONOSOV SCHOOL | 11 | KGZ-SCHOOL NO. 70 | 10½ |
9 | NEP-MARVELLOUS E.B.S. | 9½ | TJK-SECONDARY SCHOOL №6 | 11½ |
10 | AUS-CARLTON GARDENS PM | 9½ | TKM-TKM-RUS PUSHKIN SCHOOL | 11 |
11 | MAS-SJK(C) PIN HWA 1 | 8½ | UZB-M AL-KHWARIZMI IT SCHOOL | 10½ |
12 | IND-KALINGA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE | 7 | IND-DUOLINGO DREAMERS | 6 |
13 | SGP-RAFFLES GIRLS' PRIMARY SCHOOL | 4 | HKG-ST. JOSEPH'S ANGLO-CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOL | 9½ |
Masterclass by ChessBase India
Alongside the tournament, the International School Chess Federation gave us the opportunity to share our initiative of organizing chess camps with people.
Our camps, held biannually at Phoenix Marketcity Kurla in Mumbai, are free and open to all, with no age restrictions. The idea began with a simple mission: to share the joy of chess with as many people as possible. Over time, the initiative has received an overwhelming response and has expanded to multiple states and cities, including Meghalaya, Gujarat, Bangalore, Lucknow and Jabalpur.
We presented this concept during the event, encouraging others to replicate it in their own cities.
If you would like to organize a similar camp in your city, feel free to reach out to us at chessbaseindia@gmail.com.
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