Minsk School Wins European Stage of World Schools Chess Championship

Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk won the European Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Chess Championship 2026 with a perfect 8 wins from 8 matches.

Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk has won the European Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. The school team won all eight of its matches to finish with a perfect score of 16 match points.

Riga State Gymnasium No. 1 from Latvia took second place with 14 match points.

The Minsk team's success was built on strength across all four boards. Its top board player won all eight games, a remarkable achievement, and the other three players each scored 6 or 6.5 points from 8 games. Every player contributed, which is exactly what a team needs to win every match.

The championship was played over four days, with two rounds on most days. The schedule was demanding for young players, so staying focused and well rested was just as important as chess skill.

Winning a perfect 8 out of 8 in a team Swiss is very rare. As the rounds go on, the strongest teams meet each other, so the matches get harder and harder. To win them all requires consistency, good preparation and a team spirit where every player supports the others.

There is a lesson here for every student who plays on a team. You do not have to win every game for your team to succeed. Two of Minsk's players lost a game during the event, and the team still won every match. In team chess, what matters is the combined effort. When one player has a bad day, the others can make up for it, as long as everyone keeps fighting.

For young players who dream of playing for their school, events like this show how much fun and how valuable team chess can be. Representing your school abroad is an experience that players remember for the rest of their lives.

Congratulations to Gymnasium No. 50 of Minsk, and to all the schools that took part.