Malta School Chess Interschools 2026: De La Salle Crowned Champions Again

The 2026 Malta School Games Interschools Chess Championships once again showcased the growing strength of school chess across Malta, with exciting competition in both the qualifying stage and the finals. Organised by the Malta Chess Federation with the support of MSG, the event followed the same successful format as last year.

The qualifier tournament was held on 17 April at De La Salle College, attracting 26 schools and 147 players. Schools competed in a six-round Swiss-system tournament, with each team fielding four players and up to two reserves. Defending champions De La Salle dominated the competition, winning all six matches, while St. Michael School finished second with five victories. The remaining qualification spots went to St. Ignatius College Tal-Handaq, St. Elias College, St. Theresa College Middle School and Newark School.

The finals took place on 6 May at the IPES Hall, University of Malta, where the top six schools faced each other in a round-robin tournament. De La Salle confirmed their superiority with convincing victories throughout, including a narrow but decisive 2.5-1.5 win over St. Michael School, before sealing the championship unbeaten on 10 points. St. Michael claimed silver with seven points, while St. Elias secured bronze on five.

Among the standout individual performers were Gabriel Gauci and Benjamin Calleja Falzon, who both produced exceptional results for De La Salle.

#MaltaDaily