Cyprus emerges as a European chess hub, FIDE president tells president

International Chess Federation (FIDE) president Timur Turlov and Freedom24 chief executive Evgenii Tiapkin met President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on Monday to discuss the development of chess in Cyprus.

The meeting focused on the island’s growing role in European chess and plans to build on the progress made since Freedom became the general partner of the Cyprus Chess Federation in 2023.

“In three years, Cyprus has become one of Europe’s chess hubs, and we want to keep building on that,” Turlov said.

“It was important for us to present our plans for chess on the island to the President, and we are grateful for his time and attention to the game,” he added.

Turlov, who is also the founder and chief executive of Freedom Holding Corp, was elected FIDE president on September 26 at the federation’s congress in Samarkand.

His programme for 2027 to 2030 envisages around €30 million in funding over four years for chess development, including an annual development fund of €6.2 million, almost four times the current budget.

The fund is intended to support competitions, young players, chess education, coaches and arbiters, digital tools and women’s chess.

Since Freedom became the Cyprus Chess Federation’s general partner in 2023, 26 tournaments have been held on the island, including stages of the FIDE Women’s World Grand Prix in Nicosia in 2023 and 2025.

The island also hosted the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which carried a €1 million prize fund and brought leading players from around the world to Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort.

The event marked the first time in Cyprus’ chess history that the tournament had brought the world’s leading contenders to the island.

The Freedom24 Chess Academy opened in Limassol on March 1, 2025, under the leadership of International Master Artem Sadovsky.

The academy aims to develop strong players capable of representing Cyprus in international competitions.

According to the Cyprus Chess Federation, around 2,000 people in Cyprus now play chess actively, most of them children.