The President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation Timur Turlov welcomed participants to Almaty, describing the championship as a milestone for both Kazakhstan and university chess worldwide. He also highlighted the country's commitment to chess in education, pointing to the rapid growth of school and university chess programmes across Kazakhstan. National Technical University of Athens followed closely after two 2½-1½ victories over Almaty Management University. Inspiring the next generationAlongside the university championship, Almaty is also hosting the Kazakhstan vs the World children's team match, further highlighting the event's commitment to promoting chess across all generations. As the inaugural edition of the FIDE World University Team Chess Championship gathers momentum, Almaty has already demonstrated how chess can unite students from around the world through competition, education and cultural exchange.