The 6th Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners will take place on October 13–15, 2026, bringing together incarcerated players from around the world for three days of international online competition.
This year’s championship is set to establish a new participation record, with 140 teams from 56 countries registered for the event. The competition will feature men’s, women’s and youth sections, with teams competing across multiple groups and time zones.
Organised by FIDE and the Cook County (Chicago, IL, USA) Sheriff’s Office, the championship demonstrates how chess can be used as an educational and social tool in correctional facilities. Since the first Intercontinental Championship in 2021, the initiative has expanded across six continents, promoting critical thinking, emotional control, teamwork and skills that can support reintegration into society.
Preparations are already well underway in participating correctional facilities.
Nigeria will make its championship debut this year, with players from the Kirikiri Female Custodial Centre preparing through a seven-week intensive chess programme organised by Anchor Heritage Initiative. The programme concluded with a six-round tournament. For the organisers, the project goes beyond competition, using chess to build confidence, develop talent and create opportunities for personal growth.
In Malawi, five teams have registered across the men’s, women’s and youth categories. Local organisers have focused on chess as a tool for discipline, rehabilitation and strategic thinking, while support from Airtel Malawi has helped provide the internet connectivity necessary for players to participate in international online competition.
In Kenya, chess has become an increasingly established part of prison rehabilitation programmes. The game is now played across all 134 prisons in the country, with participants and prison officials pointing to its value in developing patience, problem-solving and more considered decision-making. Kenya first participated in the FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners in 2024.
India will again be strongly represented. The women’s team from Yerawada Women’s Prison has qualified for the Intercontinental Championship for the first time after progressing through the Asian stage earlier this year. The players have been preparing through regular training in openings, endgames and time management, with chess described by participants as a way to learn to think ahead and understand the consequences of each decision.
The championship will be played online on Chess.com, allowing correctional facilities separated by thousands of kilometers to meet over the same chessboard. The event has grown steadily since its launch, becoming one of the largest international sporting competitions organised for incarcerated people and a central part of FIDE’s Chess for Freedom programme.
General information, draws, technical requirements, fair play measures (PDF)
Official website: https://chessforfreedom.fide.com/