The team of the Ural State Mining University (UGGU) from Yekaterinburg, playing under the FIDE flag, won the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship-2026 held in Almaty. The team of the Kazakh National University of Sports took third place. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Final match

In the final match, six out of eight games ended in a draw. The winning points were brought by International Master Liya Garifullina, who defeated the US Women's Grandmaster Talia Cervantes-Landeiro twice.

Results of the World Team Championship

UGGU (FIDE) – Saint Louis University (USA) 5:3 (2.5:1.5, 2.5:1.5)

  • 01GM Arseniy Nesterov (FIDE) – GM Chopra Aryan (India) 0.5:0.5, 0.5:0.5
  • 02GM Rudik Makaryan (FIDE) – GM Subramanyam Bharat (India) 0.5:0.5, 0.5:0.5
  • 03GM Sergei Lobanov (FIDE) – GM Nikoloz Kacharava (Georgia) 0.5:0.5, Lobanov – GM Viktor Gazik (Slovakia) 0.5:0.5
  • 04IM Liya Garifullina (FIDE) – WGM Talia Cervantes-Landeiro (USA) 1:0, 1:0

Match for bronze

The prolonged match for bronze became the highlight of the tournament. After losing to the Americans in the first round, our chess players took revenge in the second. The fate of third place was not decided even in blitz – 2:2. Only in super-blitz, Kazybek Nogerbek, winning the "Armageddon" against Indian Aditi Samant, brought bronze medals to Kazakhstan.

KNUS (Astana, Kazakhstan) – University of Texas (Dallas, USA) 4:4 (1.5:2.5, 2.5:1.5). Blitz 2:2. Super-blitz 1:0

  • 01GM Kazybek Nogerbek (Kazakhstan) – GM Aditya Samant (India) 0.5:0.5, 0.5:0.5
  • 02IM Arystan Isanzhulov (Kazakhstan) – GM Yair Parkhov (Israel) 1:0, IM Satbek Akhmedinov (Kazakhstan) – Parkhov 0:1
  • 03IM Meruert Kamalidenova (Kazakhstan) – GM Chatterjee Koustav (India) 0:1, Isanzhulov – Koustav 1:0
  • 04Alisher Mazhkenov (Kazakhstan) – WGM Maili-Jade Uelle (Canada) 0:1, Kamalidenova – Uelle 1:0
  • 05Nogerbek – Samant 1:0, Akhmedinov – Parkhov 0:1, Isanzhulov – Koustav 1:0, Kamalidenova – Uelle 0:1

Tournament organizers

The World University Team Chess Championship was organized by FIDE together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, and the Akimat of Almaty. General partners are the Freedom group of companies and the Shapagat corporate fund.

Prize fund

The total prize fund is €50 thousand. The champions received €25 thousand, the US vice-champions – €15 thousand, and the third team of the tournament, from Kazakhstan, will receive €10 thousand.