2nd Continental Chess Championship for Prisoners Ends with Record Participation

A total of 50 countries participated, compared to 42 last year. The event also featured:

• 71 Men’s teams
• 21 Women’s teams
• 19 Youth teams

This was a huge increase from the previous edition and showed the growing popularity of the Chess for Freedom program.

Strong Participation from Africa

The African Continental Championship included teams from:

• Zimbabwe
• Malawi
• Kenya
• Ghana
• Eswatini
• Nigeria
• Namibia
• Madagascar

Zimbabwe dominated the event. Their Men’s and Women’s teams both finished first in their categories, while the Zimbabwe Men’s team won the overall championship.

Ghana finished second overall and also won first place in the Youth category.

Malawi performed consistently well, with their Men’s, Women’s, and Youth teams all finishing third in their sections.

Exciting Competition in the Americas

The American Continental Championship featured teams from:

• United States
• El Salvador
• Colombia
• Mexico
• Argentina
• Jamaica
• Aruba
• Guyana
• Uruguay
• Saint Lucia
• Grenada
• Paraguay

El Salvador impressed everyone by winning both major categories. Their Men’s team also became the overall champion. The USA-Chicago team finished second overall, while Mexico secured third place.

In the Women’s section:

• Mexico Women finished second
• USA-Kansas Women finished third

Guyana won the Youth category with an excellent performance.

Europe Sees Record Growth

The European Championship welcomed a record number of countries and teams.

Participating nations included:

• Serbia
• Armenia
• Romania
• Norway
• Ukraine
• Croatia
• England
• Spain
• Poland
• Latvia
• Germany
• Czech Republic
• Italy
• Georgia
• Greece

Belgium and Albania joined the competition for the first time. Serbia 1 won both the Men’s category and the overall European title. Ukraine finished second, while Armenia took third place.

In the Women’s section, Georgia completely dominated the competition. England secured third place.

The Youth winners were:

1. Serbia
2. England
3. Ukraine

Alongside the tournament, Italy also hosted the European Chess for Freedom workshop.

India Shines in Asia

The Asian Championship featured teams from:

• India
• Mongolia
• Philippines
• Kyrgyzstan
• Singapore

The Australian region was represented by:

• Australia
• South Australia
• Vanuatu

India delivered an outstanding performance. Two Indian Youth teams became the overall winners of the competition. Mongolia won both the Men’s and Women’s sections, while India finished second in both categories.

With more teams now joining from the Australian region, organizers hope to introduce a separate Australian Continental Championship next year.

Support Behind the Chess for Freedom Program

The organizers thanked all coordinators, correctional facilities, staff members, chess coaches, and volunteers who supported the Chess for Freedom initiative.

Special appreciation was given to:

• Chief Arbiter Nebojsa Baralic from Serbia
• Deputy Chief Arbiter Ana Srebrnic from Slovenia
• Chief Fair Play Officer Andy Howie from Scotland
• The Chess.com team for their professional support

Important Upcoming Dates

• October 13–15, 2026 — VI Intercontinental Online Championship for Prisoners
• March 17–19, 2027 — Chess for Freedom Conference in Chicago

About Chess for Freedom

The Chess for Freedom initiative was launched by FIDE together with correctional institutions worldwide.

The program uses chess as an educational and social tool for inmates. It helps participants improve:

• Critical thinking
• Emotional control
• Teamwork
• Decision-making skills

Since the first Intercontinental Championship in 2021, Chess for Freedom has grown into a worldwide movement involving thousands of inmates across six continents.