Building on the momentum of the Intercontinental Championships, FIDE is proud to announce the inaugural Continental Online Chess Championships for Prisoners, taking place throughout May 2025. Teams from across Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia have already signed up, with more expected to follow, marking another powerful step forward in the Chess for Freedom initiative.
The first-ever FIDE Continental Online Chess Championships for Prisoners will be held in May 2025, with many teams from around the world already registered and additional entries anticipated.
Since its inception in May 2021, the FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championships for Prisoners have seen four successful editions, including the 2024 edition that featured over 115 teams from 51 countries. The new Continental Championships will host regional competitions across four continents; Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia, to crown their respective champions.
This event is a significant milestone in FIDE’s continued mission to bring chess into correctional institutions worldwide. As a key element of the Chess for Freedom initiative, the continental format offers incarcerated individuals renewed access to intellectual engagement, personal development, and social reintegration.
Event Schedule and Registered Teams (as of now):
Africa – May 13, 2025
- Malawi (4 teams)
- Ghana
Americas – May 16, 2025
- USA (2 teams)
- Colombia
- El Salvador (2 teams)
- Grenada
- Paraguay
Europe – May 20, 2025
- Italy (2 teams)
- Croatia
- Spain
- Norway
- Greece
- Netherlands
- Germany
- Czech
- Ireland
- Iceland
Asia – May 23, 2025
- Mongolia
- Phillipines
- Singapore
- South Australia
Team Format & Eligibility
Each championship is a team event, open to correctional institutions within their respective continents. Each country may register up to three teams:
- One team from a male correctional facility
- One team from a female correctional facility
- One team from a juvenile correctional facility (under 20 years old)
Additional teams may be invited from countries that organize national championships among prisoners.
Each team will consist of four players, with an unlimited number of substitutes. All participants must be incarcerated individuals, and anonymity will be maintained in accordance with legal regulations.
Tournament Format
The tournaments will be played on Chess.com, using a 10-minute + 5-second increment time control. The format – Round Robin or Swiss System – will depend on the number of participating teams. The top two teams in each continental event will advance to the Championship Match (which will be held on the second day) to determine the continental winner.
Registration & Key Dates
Registration deadline: May 1, 2025
Registration link: Click HERE to register
Technical meeting: Week of May 5, 2025 (via Zoom)
Correctional institutions must complete the online registration form and confirm their team’s participation via email to Mikhail Korenman (mikhail.korenman@ccsheriff.org).
Since its launch in 2021, the Chess for Freedom initiative has introduced chess to correctional institutions around the world, demonstrating its value as a tool for education, personal development, and social reintegration. The introduction of continental-level championships represents a step forward in expanding access to the game, allowing teams from different regions to compete on a larger stage.
For full tournament details, please refer to the official event guidelines.
Regulations for Continental Online Championships for Prisoners (PDF)