Handmade boards from Rio, a simul with a twist, and a tightening race in San José

Day 3 Highlights: Saco Oliveros de Lince Dominates in San José

WHO: Saco Oliveros de Lince Team; WHAT: Dominant Wins in Rounds 5 & 6; WHERE: DoubleTree by Hilton Cariari, San José; WHEN: Day 3 of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship 2026 American Continental Stage

Key Matches and Outcomes

Saco Oliveros de Lince secured its top position by defeating both Harvest Park Middle School and Crescent Heights Academy, now leading by two match points.

• Harvest Park Middle School 1–3 Saco Oliveros de Lince: Marcos Beltrán Meneses Morales’ win over Zhuoyuan Wu on board one set the tone, with Rihanna Irina Rojas Salas delivering the decisive third point on board four.
• Crescent Heights Academy 2½–1½ Saint Gabriel’s School: Despite a mixed performance on higher boards, the Canadian team prevailed thanks to wins on boards two and four, notably CM Andrew Yin’s perfect score continuation.

Tightening Race for Qualifying Places

Behind the leaders, four teams are within one match point of each other, setting up a thrilling final day.

Notable Performances

• Aiden Yin and CM Andrew Yin (Crescent Heights Academy) maintain perfect scores.
• Felipe Brunstein Hauyon’s critical mistake on board three against Aiden Yin highlighted the day’s most pivotal moment.

Source

This report is based on information published by FIDE — International Chess Federation.

Official source: https://www.fide.com/handmade-boards-from-rio-a-simul-with-a-twist-and-a-tightening-race-in-san-jose/