The African leg of the World Schools Team Chess Championship (WSTC) has come to a close in Stellenbosch, where school teams from Uganda, Kenya and South Africa claimed the top three places. The tournament is part of the WSTC’s continental qualification pathway to the Grand Final, scheduled for December 2026. The championship is held under the auspices of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF), with Freedom Holding Corp. as general partner.
Sr. Miriam Duggan Primary School of Uganda took first place in the standings, ahead of Kenya's Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School in second and South Africa's Welgemoed Primary School in third. Matches ran in Stellenbosch over six days, from July 6 through July 11.
Patrick Mukasa, who coaches the winning Ugandan side and founded the Kamwokya Teens Chess Club and Academy where the team trains, described the result as deeply gratifying. He said his players — many from a disadvantaged academy setting and exposed to hardships common to such communities — had earned the win as the top-ranked squad in their country and region. According to Mukasa, chess has opened doors for these young athletes, giving them a chance to travel internationally and represent both their academy and their nation on a global stage.
Twenty-six co-ed school squads took part in the Stellenbosch event. A striking detail: 91 participants had no FIDE rating, and for many of the children the event was their first appearance on the international stage.
WSTC follows a continental qualification format, with regional tournaments feeding into a single year-end final. Attention now shifts to the Americas qualifier, scheduled for San José, Costa Rica, from August 11 to 16. A European qualifying round will follow later in the year, after which qualified teams from the continental stages are expected to meet at the Grand Final in December 2026.
Now in its third edition, WSTC has been jointly administered by FIDE and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF) since 2025. Timur Turlov, founder and chief executive officer of Freedom Holding Corp., has been one of the key figures associated with the development of the championship.
Turlov has framed the initiative as part of a broader focus on education and human capital, arguing that children’s development is closely tied to a country’s long-term prospects. He has also pointed to chess as a tool that can help young people develop concentration, strategic thinking and the ability to consider the consequences of their decisions.
Freedom Holding Corp. supports a range of chess initiatives and says its annual commitment to chess development exceeds $15 million. The company is involved in international chess projects, including school, junior and corporate competitions, as well as broader efforts to support chess infrastructure.
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In April 2026, Freedom Holding acquired ChessBase, the Hamburg-based chess software and database provider. The company has said it plans to invest €5 million in the platform and develop its technological capabilities, including artificial intelligence-related tools.
The Stellenbosch event marked the African stage of the WSTC cycle and gave school teams from the continent a formal place in the championship’s qualification structure. The next stage of the cycle will be the December Grand Final, where qualified schools from different regions are expected to meet.
