World Schools Team Championship 2025 to be held from 2-7 August in Washington DC

Connecting chess and education

The World Schools Team Championship is one of the biggest global events for young chess players. The first edition was held in Kazakhstan in 2023, and the second edition is set to take place from 2nd August to 7th August 2025, at the Episcopal High School, just 11 kilometres from downtown Washington DC, USA. There will be 55 schools from 47 countries participating in this tournament.

This will be one of the largest global children’s tournaments ever organised. With Freedom Holding covering all travel and accommodation, young players from across the globe will enjoy an experience that extends well beyond the board. Paired with the Smart Moves Summit on chess in education, this marks a milestone for scholastic chess and its role in childhood development,” said Emil Sutovsky, CEO of FIDE.

Tournament details:

Team composition: Four players per team with one reserve and one non-playing captain.

Time control: 45 minutes + 10-second increment per move.

Format: Eight-round Swiss system, with two games per day over four days of play.

Venue: Episcopal High School, 1200 N Quaker Ln, Alexandria, VA 22302.

Smart Moves Summit

Along with this tournament, there will be the Smart Moves Summit, scheduled for 4th and 5th August 2025. This two-day conference will bring together educators, scientists, policy makers, and chess leaders from over 30 countries to discuss the role of chess in education and child development.

“As Artificial Intelligence reshapes every sector, educators and parents must find ways to equip students and children with critical thinking and resilience reflective of the 21st-century challenges. This Summit brings together experts to share proven strategies,” Sutovsky added.

The summit will feature 15 sessions, including panels, workshops, and round-table discussions. These sessions will delve into topics such as:

• The benefits of introducing chess in early and primary education.

• Using chess to foster inclusivity and gender equity.

• How digital platforms are transforming chess education.

• Aligning chess programs with public education systems.

Topics for the 15 sessions

1. Strategic Leadership in Global Chess Education: Brings together FIDE, national federations and partners to discuss long-term strategy, cross-sector collaboration and visionary leadership for global chess education.

2. Chess in Early and Primary Education: Examines how introducing chess in preschool and primary settings supports executive functioning, emotional regulation, numeracy, language skills and social learning in inclusive, multilingual classrooms.

3. More Than Equal: Levelling the Board for All Through Chess: Reviews global case studies on using chess to advance equity across gender, socio-economic status, ability and geography, moving from mere access to genuine agency.

4. Tech on the Board: Explores how digital platforms, tools and devices are transforming student engagement and learning through chess both inside and outside the classroom.

5. Making the Case for Chess: Methodology, Policy, and Public Sector Partnerships Looks at aligning chess-based learning methodologies with public education goals to build large-scale, lasting collaborations between chess organizations and government bodies.

6. Chess + Math: Cognitive Games for Early Numeracy: A Master Class showing how to structure short, chess-based exercises tailored for early mathematics learners.

7. Chess & Strategy Games: Provides scalable, classroom-tested models that equip pre-service and in-service teachers with the skills and confidence to use chess and strategy games for cognitive development and interdisciplinary learning.

8. The Power of Chess to Change Lives: A case-study presentation detailing how a chess program helped intellectual and social development among low-income youth.

9. Sponsorship and Marketing at the Crossroads of Chess and Education: Discusses how brands and organizations can sponsor school chess programs to support their growth while delivering value to partners.

10. From Classroom to Cashflow: The Business of School Chess Programs Analyzes how to build financially viable, pedagogically sound frameworks that sustain and scale school-based chess initiatives.

11. Going Viral: How Social Media and Creators Are Redefining Chess Promotion (Cyber sport, Minecraft, Roblox): Investigates how social media, streaming platforms, and digital influencers are reshaping the perception and reach of chess worldwide.

12. Beyond the Final Move: Reflects on lessons learned in school integration, technology use, partnership building, and educational impact, and identifies urgent opportunities and challenges ahead.

13. How to Train the Trainer: Shares methods for teaching chess in classrooms with neurodiverse learners and multiple language groups.

14. Inclusive Chess Environments: Techniques for teaching in neurodiverse, multilingual classrooms.

15. A Statistical Spectroscope for Fair Play and Growing Minds: Explores how analytics can reveal patterns in chess play to support ethical competition and cognitive development.

A world-class line-up of speakers

The Smart Moves Summit will welcome an impressive list of leaders and experts. Among them are:

Why this event matters

The aim of the World Schools Team Championship 2025 is to highlight chess as more than just a game. Those who play chess regularly know that chess helps in critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and resilience. These qualities are crucial in today's fast-changing world. That's why this event will inspire educators, parents, and communities to embrace chess as a part of holistic education.

If you want to view the full agenda or book your seat for the Smart Moves Summit, visit the official website.

Important link

World Schools Team​ Championship 2025 Official Website

Smart Moves Summit 2025 Official Website