The American Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 began today at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari in San José, the first time the championship has come to Central America. 29 school teams have travelled here from 25 countries, from Canada to Argentina and across the Caribbean, each of them playing for a place in the Grand Final later this year. The stage falls within the Year of Chess in Education and is supported by Freedom Holding Corp. and the Costa Rican Institute of Sport and Recreation (ICODER). Format Each team fields four main players and one reserve, with both boys and girls represented. The tournament follows an eight-round Swiss system, with a time control of 45 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move from move one. Competitive play begin