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From 6 to 11 July, Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa will host the African Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026, with Freedom Holding Corp., the parent company of Freedom24, supporting the event as general partner. Nearly 30 school teams from across the continent will compete over the week, with the best teams qualifying directly for the WSTC 2026 Grand Final in December. It is the first African stage in the championship's history and the second continental qualifier of the new cycle, following the Asian stage held in Almaty this spring.♟
A championship now spanning four continents began with a conversation in Kazakhstan. In 2023, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. and President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, discussed how to bring more schoolchildren into competitive chess. Later that year, FIDE and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation launched the first edition in Aktau, bringing together more than 400 students from 53 countries.
Freedom Holding Corp. supports the championship as general partner and allocates more than $15 million annually to chess development and promotion, including the WSTC, the World Rapid and Blitz Championships and other FIDE events. Earlier in 2026, the group also acquired ChessBase, one of the world's largest platforms for chess software and analytics, further extending its involvement in the game.
Held within the framework of the Year of Chess in Education 2026, the tournament runs alongside a full programme of masterclasses, workshops and cultural activities, from a lecture on South Africa's Olympiad history to a simultaneous exhibition where one board is played collectively by the audience. 🎓
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