5th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners Begins October 14
The 5th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners will take place from October 14 to 16, 2025, uniting incarcerated men, women, and youth from around the world through the game of chess.
Organized with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in Chicago, the event is part of FIDE’s Chess for Freedom initiative, which promotes rehabilitation, education, and personal development through chess. Now in its fifth year, it has become a powerful example of how chess can change lives.
Record Participation in 2025
This year sets a new record with 135 teams from 57 countries:
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89 Open teams
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26 Women’s teams
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20 Youth teams
New participants include Eswatini, Guyana, Lesotho, Poland, Aruba, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Each team has four currently incarcerated players. All games will be played on Chess.com with a 10+5 time control, supervised by official FIDE arbiters to ensure fair play.
Tournament Format
October 14 – Group Stage
Teams are placed into regional round-robin groups.
October 15 – Championship Stage
Top two teams from each group compete in another round-robin.
October 16 – Finals & Placements
Champions in the Open, Women’s, and Youth categories are crowned, with placement matches deciding final rankings.
Live Broadcast & Commentary
The Group Stage and Finals will stream live on FIDE’s YouTube channel with commentary, interviews, and human-interest stories. The 2025 commentary team features:
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Michael Rahal
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Angelika Valkova
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Charlize van Zyl
Guest appearances from arbiters, correctional officials, and chess leaders will offer insight into how chess is being used in rehabilitation worldwide.
Global Preparations Underway
Prisons and federations across continents are holding test matches, workshops, and training camps.
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Malawi has been especially active, with teams from Zomba, Bvumbe Youth, Maula, and Kachere prisons training regularly. Malawi has become a leading participant in Africa after strong results in continental events.
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Zimbabwe, the recent Continental Champion, is seen as a top contender.
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Kenya continues expanding its “Chess in Prisons” project through Nairobi West Prison.
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New programs have started in Guyana (Lusignan Prison) and Aruba, both entering teams for the first time.
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The United States, Paraguay, Croatia, Singapore, and Kazakhstan have also confirmed their participation.
About Chess for Freedom
Launched in 2021, Chess for Freedom brings chess into prisons as a tool for education, discipline, emotional growth, and reintegration. The initiative has since grown into a global movement, involving thousands of inmates across six continents in tournaments, workshops, and training programs.
The 2025 edition—the largest so far—highlights the central belief of the program: chess breaks barriers and creates hope beyond walls and borders.
The Championship will run on Chess.com from October 14 to 16, 2025, with full live coverage on FIDE’s YouTube channel.
Photos: Dadaz Chess Academy, FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
