FIDE President Timur Turlov met with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on October 19. The meeting was also attended by Evgenii Tiapkin, CEO of Freedom24. The primary focus of the discussions was the accelerated growth of chess on the island, strategic roadmaps for the future, and the ways in which the Cypriot model can contribute to FIDE's broader mission of reinforcing chess ecosystems worldwide.

The Emergence of Cyprus as a European Chess Hub

Over the last three years, Cyprus has transformed into a vibrant European chess hub through an effective tripartite synergy uniting the Cyprus Chess Federation, the national government, and private industry partners. Reflecting on this momentum, FIDE President Turlov stated, “In three years, Cyprus has become one of Europe's chess hubs, and we want to keep building on that. It was important for us to present our plans for chess on the island to President Christodoulides, and we are grateful for his time, his support, and his attention to the game.”

Elite Competitions and Permanent Infrastructure

Cyprus has already hosted a series of premier international competitions under the FIDE banner. Key milestones include stages of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix held in Nicosia in 2023 and 2025, as well as the flagship 2026 FIDE Candidates and Women's Candidates Tournament, which gathered the world's elite grandmasters for a prize fund of €1 million.

Parallel to top-level professional tournaments, substantial progress has been achieved in grassroots development. Supported by Freedom24, 26 chess tournaments have taken place across the country since 2023—including the Cyprus Open and the National Championship—complemented by the establishment of a dedicated training institution at the Freedom24 Chess Academy.