Costa Rica to host the 2026 FIDE-ISCF World Schools Team Championship for the Americas

The American Continental Stage of the FIDE-ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 is scheduled to take place in San José, Costa Rica, from August 11 to 16. This marks the first time that Costa Rica and the Central American region have hosted this specific stage of the tournament. The event is organized by FIDE and the International Schools Chess Federation, in collaboration with the Costa Rican Chess Federation and the Confederation of Chess for the Americas, with Freedom Holding Corp., the parent company of Freedom24, serving as the general partner.

Leading school teams from across the Americas will compete in the tournament to secure a spot in the WSTC 2026 Grand Final, where they will face victors from other continental stages. A key highlight of the event is the "Smart Moves Americas: Governments That Think Ahead" conference, scheduled for August 12. As part of the "Year of Chess in Education 2026" initiative, this ministerial meeting will gather government representatives and education experts to deliberate on national policies, teacher development, and the integration of chess into school curricula across the Americas.