Online Chess Unites Prisoners Worldwide
The FIDE Social Commission (dedicated to using chess as a tool for social development) organized, in cooperation with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the 4th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners as part of FIDE’s Chess for Freedom initiative.
- Chess for Freedom
- The 4th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners
- Beyond the Competition
- Around the World of Chess in Prisons
Chess for Freedom
FIDE and the Cook County Sheriff's Office launched the Chess for Freedom project in 2021. The Online Intercontinental Championship is their best-known joint initiative, but online and in-person conferences are regularly held, and representatives from chess projects addressed to the incarcerated population have formed an ever-growing network to exchange experiences and offer mutual support.
The first edition of this championship had 42 teams representing 31 countries; this year, 115 teams (77 in the Open section, 21 in the Women’s section, and 17 juvenile teams) from 51 countries took part in an event that Dr. M. R. Das, Executive Director of HR at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (partner of Chess for Freedom) described as “not just a competition.”
"I feel #ChessForFreedom is not just a competition; it is much much beyond that, and it is a symbol of hope for those who are in darkness. It leverages the fact that you can captivate the body but not the mind." – 🇮🇳 Dr . M. R. Das (India), Executive Director of HR at Indian Oil… pic.twitter.com/t4fipWHnIj
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) October 8, 2024
The 4th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners
The games were played on Chess.com from October 8 to 11. The time control was 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move (with 3+2 games in the tie-breakers), and the teams were formed by four players. Team delegates were connected to a Zoom call with arbiters and organizers, and the teams set up panoramic cameras showing their playing area, a usual setup in hybrid tournaments that serve as a window to other realities across the globe.
The teams were grouped according to time zones and played a preliminary phase in three shifts. You can find all the groups, results, and standings here.
In the Men’s section, the top two teams from each of the 10 groups advanced to the second day of competition. These 20 teams were divided into two groups, one topped by United Arab Emirates and India 1, the other by El Salvador and Serbia.
While Serbia comfortably defeated India 1 in the 3rd Place Match, the Final was a nail-biter. UAE bounced back twice and forced an armageddon where the player from El Salvador failed to hold the draw. In this critical position, a couple of misguided trades from Black were enough to tip the scales in White's favor.
In the Women and Youth sections, three groups produced eight quarterfinalists, and Playoffs (consisting of two matches) were set to determine the winners. El Salvador had to settle again for silver in the female competition, falling to reigning champions Mongolia, while Romania beat India and completed the podium.
Two Indian teams made it to the Semifinals in the Youth section. After their face-off, India 1 defeated Ecuador in the Final, and India 3 took the bronze over Serbia.
Beyond the Competition
The FIDE YouTube channel streamed 12-hour live broadcasts daily hosted by WGM Andreea Navrotescu, WIM Charlize van Zyl, WGM Anna Burtasova, IM Michael Rahal, and GM Ioan-Christian Chirila. For Rahal, this marked his third year doing commentary for this unique tournament, an experience he describes as “very gratifying.” A seasoned host who’s worked as the press officer at the 2022 Chennai Olympiad and the 2024 World Cup, among other top events, he treasures the opportunity of “learning first-hand how many inmates use chess as a tool to give new purpose to their lives,” pointing out how the game could ease some inmates’ reinsertion, offering both financial means and social connections.
Of course, doing live commentary on the games is fun, but interviewing inmates and learning from their stories of personal development brings added value.
— IM Michael Rahal, official commentator
Obviously, the streaming went far beyond following the games. Officials, delegates, and coaches joined as guests and provided insights into the impact chess has on the incarcerated population and how these projects are making a difference for so many individuals worldwide.
One of the most touching interviews was that of Dainis Miķelsons, who played in 2023 as an inmate. A free man now, he’s a volunteer running the chess club at Riga Central Prison. Dainis joined the broadcast and shared his emotional journey with hosts and viewers. Unfortunately, his students have limited access to online chess. We hope that events like these help improve this situation!
They don’t have the opportunity to play online chess as much as I would like, and they would like.
— Dainis Miķelsons, former inmate and now coach at Riga Central Prison
Around the World of Chess in Prisons
After the superb performance of both Indian teams in the last Chess Olympiad, all the attention of Indian media and chess fans will soon be on GM Gukesh Dommaraju and his World Championship Match against GM Ding Liren. There certainly is no shortage of epic performances by Indian chess players to cover, but the two medals collected by their Youth teams didn’t go unnoticed!
Remember our summer report on chess in Catalan prisons? GM Josep Oms Pallissé, director of the ADEJO chess academy, recently received recognition for his 16 years working on chess as a reinsertion tool. The four Catalan prisons with chess programs participated in the tournament.
In Ecuador, the SNAI, which stands for Servicio Nacional de Atencion Integral a Personas Privadas de la Libertad y a Adolescentes Infractores (National Service of Comprehensive Care for Individuals Deprived of Freedom and Teen Offenders), reported the success of the Ecuatorian juvenile team. The SNAI promotes sport as a reinsertion tool and hopes this performance encourages more teens to take up chess and fulfill their potential.
Only five African countries were represented, but we’re sure that the tremendous job The Gift of Chess is carrying out will soon bear fruits. These Malawi women deserve a place in our hearts and in this report.
Today these women in Malawi are not prisoners but simply chess champions! @Susan_GOC @FIDE_chess pic.twitter.com/BferrfaLnq
— The Gift of Chess (@thegiftofchess) October 8, 2024
FIDE has recently announced 2025 as the Year of Social Chess. In May, Georgia will host a "Chess for Freedom Conference," highlighting the role of chess in prison rehabilitation programs. The FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners will occur again in October.
What events and initiatives would you love to see in the Year of Social Chess? Leave your suggestions in the comments!
