Ganzorig Amartuvshin and Turmunkh Munkhzul win Mongolian Championship
The 62nd Mongolian Championship and 54th Mongolian Women’s Championship concluded recently in the ceremony hall of Choibalsan Hotel, central Dornod province. Both tournaments, 13-player round-robins with classical time control, were qualifiers for the national teams to represent Mongolia at the 45th Chess Olympiad. In the open event, IM Ganzorig Amartuvshin quickly pulled away with five straight victories and, despite losing to IM Munkhdalai Amilal in Round 9, finished clear first with an excellent score of 9.5/12, a half-point ahead of FM Sumiya Chinguun. FM Erdene Baasansuren and Munkhdalai Amilal netted 8/12 and tied for third place, with the former claiming bronze thanks to the last-round victory in their direct encounter. Final standings Open The women’s section saw the domination of WGM Turmunkh Munkhzul who secured impressive 9.5/12 and finished 1.5 points ahead of the runner-up WGM Batkhuyag Munguntuul. WGM Davaademberel Nomin-Erdene and Erdenebayar Khuslen both scored 7.5/12 and shared third place. The bronze medal goes to Davaademberel, who won their direct encounter. Final standings Women The top five players from each section will represent Mongolia at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary in September 2024. Notably, both Mongolian teams are primarily composed of young players this year. The Mongolian Chess Federation extends its gratitude to all sponsors and supporters for organizing the championship: Chief Organizer Batjargal Dorjsuren (journalist and producer of the MNB Sports channel), General Sponsor “Choibalsan Group” LLC, State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports regulatory agency of Government of Mongolia, Local Governance of Dornod province, Local council in Ulaanbaatar of Bulgan sum and “Step Gold” LLC. Photos: Mongolian Chess Federation Facebook
Chess for Freedom Conference: Rehabilitation through chess
The Chess for Freedom Conference, hosted by Indian Oil Corp. in collaboration with the All India Chess Federation and the Ministry of Justice, continues in Pune, India. The event explores the transformative power of chess as a rehabilitation tool in correctional facilities worldwide. On the second day of the conference, attendees discussed concepts of teaching chess to incarcerated people. Experts from all over the world shared information about their national initiatives and approaches to teaching chess in prisons. Ms. Rashmi Govil, Director of HR Indian Oil Corp, greeted the on-site participants from 12 countries and those joining the event online. “In chess, every piece is unique. Every piece has its own strength and weakness. And no piece can win the board; they can only do it together. The same is true with people. You need to have a team if you want to win. Even a small pawn has a chance to reach the other side of the board and become a piece. The more I think about it, the more I understand why people here are so passionate about the game. FIDE is doing a great job, creating waves across the globe, involving more and more countries in the project,” Ms. Rashmi Govil said. Indian Oil has been leading several social responsibility programs across India. One of them, the “Parivartan – Prison to Pride” program, aims to build confidence and improve the well-being of prison inmates through sports. According to the company’s values, channeling the energy of individuals in prison through sports can positively transform their lives. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart (Chicago, USA), who oversees the world’s largest and oldest jail chess program, also sent a greeting speech to the conference participants. A program to teach inmates how to play chess was launched in the Cook County jail more than ten years ago, in 2012. “Our partnership with FIDE symbolizes more than just our shared passion for chess; it represents a commitment to nurturing talent, promoting education, and fostering a spirit of camaraderie among nations. Through educational programs, tournaments, and initiatives aimed at inclusivity, I am proud to work side by side with FIDE in our mission to make chess accessible to everyone, everywhere. As we look to the future, our collaboration aims to leverage the power of chess to teach critical thinking, patience, and strategic planning – skills that are invaluable in today’s world,” Sheriff Tom Dart said. Speaking about the benefits of the program, Mikhail Korenman, Chess Program Coordinator at Cook County Department of Corrections and Councillor of FIDE Social Commission, shared some compelling statistics on the results of the program. According to a comprehensive study held for 3 years, participants of the chess program were involved in fewer fights and batteries than statistically similar detainees who did not play chess, both while actively enrolled in chess and before/after participation in the program. Besides, recidivism rates are also lower for those people. Participants of the chess program in the Cook County Jail were significantly less likely to be re-booked than detainees in the comparison group. Another positive example of bringing chess to prisons was presented by Susan Namangale, Global Head of the Gift of Chess and Founder of Dadaz Chess Academy (Malawi). She has led the Gift of Chess in distributing chess sets to prisons in over 20 countries across Africa. Two teams of the Chess in Prison program in Dadaz Chess Academy attendees played the Intercontinental Chess championship among Prisoners in 2023. “Most of the prisons don’t have chess sets at all. So we started distributing them. We make sure that some chess sets provided by the Gift of Chess are reaching prisons. We believe chess unlocks potential, and even one chess set can change lives. And we want to make chess as accessible as possible,” Namangale said. Another initiative by the Gift of Chess was announced during the conference. With the help of the All India Chess Federation, the Gift of Chess will distribute 29000 chess sets across India – 1000 sets for each state. Some of them will go to Indian prisons. The Chess for Freedom Conference offered a promising outlook on utilizing chess to empower individuals and foster positive change within correctional facilities. More presentations and panel discussions of Day 2 can be seen on FIDE YouTube here: youtube.com/live/RK9Ll5K-22c Text and photos: Anna Volkova
FIDE World Youth Championships 2024: Registration is open
FIDE, the Confederation of Chess for Americas and the Brazilian Chess Federation invite all national chess federations to participate in the World Youth Chess Championships U14, U16, and U18. The competitions will take place in Florianopolis, SC, Brazil, from October 28 (date of arrival) to November 10, 2024 (day of departure). Every national federation can register one official player in each category (under 14, 16, 18 years old, Open and Girls). This total of six official players plus one accompanying person (captain or head of delegation with FIDE ID) are invited by the organizers. The players placed 1-3 in the previous U14, U16, U18 World Youth Championships 2023, and the respective Champions (gold medalists) of the last Continental Youth Championships have the personal right to participate in their category or a higher age group. Registration deadline is September 2, 2024. The first World Youth Chess Solving Championship will be held during WYCC on November 4th, mirroring the age and gender categories of the main event. FIDE World Youth Chess Championships 2024 official website will be launched by July 1: worldyouth2024.fide.com E-mail: worldyouth@fide.com Invitation letter with all the details (PDF) Photo: Oscar Fava
Making History: Countdown to Guinness World Records® attempt begins!
The countdown has started! With exactly one month to go, we are excited to execute our attempt to set a new Guinness World Record on July 20 in celebration of International Chess Day and the FIDE’s 100th anniversary. This ambitious event will unite chess lovers from around the globe, inviting organizers and players to participate in this historic moment. “We are thrilled to bring the chess community together for this extraordinary event. Our aim is to set a new standard and celebrate the game we all love. Your participation is crucial, and we look forward to seeing you on July 20, 2024,” says Laurent Freyd, Chief Arbiter of the Project. For Organizers: We are calling on organizers worldwide to join us by hosting over-the-board (OTB) tournaments on July 20, 2024. Your participation will not only contribute to breaking a world record but also celebrate the rich tradition of chess. Some prestigious tournaments have already joined our initiative, including a renowned high-level Biel Chess Festival in Switzerland, Liaocheng Festival in China, which aims to bring together 2000-3000 OTB players and 5000 online participants, Turnier auf der Schallaburg in Austria, in a beautiful Schallaburg Castle, and others. By showcasing your tournament on the global stage, you will attract more players and gain widespread recognition. Registration of the tournaments joining the attempt is done before July 15, 2024: https://100.fide.com/gwr/. Please note that the event shall be registered by the FIDE Arbiter, who will later perform the reporting procedure to record the attempt. For Players: We invite all chess players to support our record attempt by participating in OTB tournaments or playing online on Chess.com, Lichess, or FIDE Online Arena. Your participation will help us achieve this remarkable goal and demonstrate the unity and passion of the chess community. You can find the list of registered tournaments here, so pick, play, and participate in history! For Chess Fans: We will have a live broadcast of the attempt on FIDE’s YouTube channel, featuring players, influencers, officials, and organizers from around the world. This will be a fantastic opportunity to witness the global chess community coming together. The broadcast will include live coverage of the participating events held worldwide to celebrate World Chess Day and our GWR attempt. Join us in this historic endeavour and be a part of chess history! For more information and to register your tournament, please visit FIDE Guinness World Records Attempt. Let’s make history together on July 20, 2024! About the Guinness World Records Guinness World Records, originally known as the Guinness Book of Records, has emerged as the definitive authority on record-breaking achievements, stemming from the idea of resolving disputes in pubs with a book of facts. Today, it stands as a global brand, with offices spanning London, New York, Beijing, Tokyo, and Dubai, alongside a network of brand ambassadors worldwide. Its mission extends beyond the pages of its iconic book, now encompassing TV shows, social media, and live events, all aimed at documenting the extraordinary.
Pune, India hosts Chess for Freedom Conference to promote global growth of chess in prisons
The second Chess for Freedom Conference, organized by FIDE, in collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation, and hosted by the All India Chess Federation and the Maharashtra Chess Association started on June 19, 2024, in Pune, India. Attracting dignitaries and chess experts from 12 countries, the event is aimed to explore the transformative power of chess as a rehabilitation tool in correctional facilities worldwide. This unique forum brought together officials from The International Chess Federation (FIDE), including Chair of the FIDE Social Commission Andre Voegtlin, Councillor of the Commission and manager of the Chess Program at Cook County Jail (USA) Mikhail Korenman, as well as chess professionals and penitentiary officers from Germany, Georgia, Ghana, India Kenya, Latvia, Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Switzerland, and USA, all in an effort to spread global awareness of the benefits of having chess programming in correctional facilities. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich joined the conference online and praised participants’ efforts to bring more inmates into chess. “It is my pleasure to watch all the professionals, everyone involved in the implementation of the project all around the world. The Chess for Freedom project helps people who have made some mistakes in the past and serve their sentences to be prepared for their new lives and to make sure they feel responsibility for each move they make. Chess helps to do that. It helps to develop abilities that could be useful throughout the life of each person, including respect for the rules and opponents. And, of course, a strategic vision of what is happening around you. I hope that your interworking will bring a better understanding of how this project can be implemented and will help it to expand,” he said. Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board Dana Reizniece-Ozola, who was also present online, thanked organizers both for hosting the event and for promoting chess among prisoners: “We offer inmates a new path via chess, India really set a commendable example for the world to follow. This is one of the main reasons why we wanted to host the conference here, in India. We know that it is much better to see once than to hear one hundred times. Witnessing personal experiences, sharing tips, hearing stories could be useful for those who are still watching and thinking whether to join this initiative in their countries.” Among the speakers who shared their experience on the first day of the conference were Nadia Cristina Tovar Cruz, Chief of risk management and health safety of the Mexican federal judiciary system (Mexico); Dr. Cris Fanning, Executive Director – Programs and Risk Management, Kansas Department of Corrections (USA); Carl Portman, English Chess Federation Manager of Prisons chess (UK); as well as former inmates Steven Maruwo (Malawi), Hector Guifarro (USA), and Emmanuel Garcia (USA). In addition to presenting national programs for teaching chess in prisons, the participants also discussed on how to recruit new countries and correctional facilities for the Intercontinental Online Chess for Prisoners Tournament. Held in October 2023, the tournament featured 118 teams from 50 countries representing every continent. On the first day of the event, conference attendees also visited the Yerawand correctional facility, where IndianOil implements chess and other sports programs. They met with current program participants, their coaches and the prison’s administration and played chess in the prison yard. Launched by IndianOil in 2021, the “Parivartan – Prison to Pride” has impacted over 4100 inmates across 83 prisons in India. In collaboration with the prison departments of respective state police, IndianOil provides coaches to train inmates in different sports disciplines, including badminton, chess, carrot, table tennis, kho-kho, and basketball. The initiative aligns with the belief that making a difference in inmates’ lives can lead to benefits for society upon their return to normal life. The conference will continue tomorrow with more presentations, case studies and interworking. Both days are streamed live on FIDE YouTube channel and available via the following links: Day 1, June 19: youtube.com/live/ldI5NpTaiRw Day 2, June 20: youtube.com/live/RK9Ll5K-22c Text and photos: Anna Volkova
CAS upholds FIDE’s decision on South African Chess Elections
CAS – The Court of Arbitration for Sport, an independent institution based in Lausanne that resolves legal disputes in the field of sport, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Chess South Africa association regarding FIDE’s decision to hold FIDE-supervised elections for Chess SA in November 2023 The case stems from early 2023 when, due to internal issues, the South African Sports Federation and National Olympic Committee provisionally suspended Chess SA in March 2023, with the suspension being made final in April 2023. In May 2023, the FIDE Council passed a resolution addressing the conflicts within Chess SA and appointed a “Reverse Delegate” to organize elections, ensuring democratic procedures. This led to FIDE’s decision on October 6, 2023, to hold FIDE-supervised elections for Chess SA on November 25, 2023. The elections took place on the appointed date, a new Executive Board was elected, and Mr Andre Lewaks was elected as the President of Chess SA. However, FIDE decided to hold recognition of the outcome until all appeals were dealt with. FIDE’s decision to organize the elections was challenged on behalf of Chess SA in front of the FIDE General Assembly, and after losing the appeal, Chess SA and several Executive Board members appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). On June 17, 2024, CAS issued its final verdict: The appeal filed by Chess SA against the FIDE General Assembly decision of December 17, 2023, was declared inadmissible. The decision was made on the grounds that the Chess SA Executive Board did not have a quorum to authorize the lawyers to file the appeal. The appeal filed by certain members (natural persons) of the Chess SA Executive Board was also declared inadmissible, as those individuals had not filed an internal appeal with the FIDE GA in the first place and were not the addressees of the FIDE GA decision of December 17 2023. The ruling of CAS is final and subject to immediate execution as per Article 190, paragraph 1 of the Swiss Private International Law Act. Taking into account the CAS decision, FIDE officially recognizes the results of the elections held and wishes the new management success in advancing chess in the country. About Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is an institution independent of any sports organization which provides for services in order to facilitate the settlement of sports-related disputes through arbitration or mediation by means of procedural rules adapted to the specific needs of the sports world. The CAS was created in 1984 and is placed under the administrative and financial authority of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS). The CAS has nearly 300 arbitrators from 87 countries, chosen for their specialist knowledge of arbitration and sports law. Around 300 cases are registered by the CAS every year. Official website: tas-cas.org/
Selected participants for the ChessMom Project announced
The FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess is pleased to announce the names of the five players selected to participate in the ChessMom pilot project during the 45th Chess Olympiad. This innovative program aims to support mother chess players by covering all expenses related to an accompanying caregiver, enabling them to participate in the tournament. The selected participants for this project are: Kashlinskaya, Alina (Poland)Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia)Osmak, Yuliia (Ukraine)Bantiwalu, Aster Melake (Ethiopia)Shipindo, Rauha (Namibia)Nkwanyane Nolwazi (Eswatini) We thank all the national federations for their support, and we hope this initiative evolves into consistent support for chess-playing mothers. Congratulations to the selected participants and we wish them great success at the Olympiad! For more information on initiatives for women’s chess, please visit our official website or follow us on our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess
FIDE World Cadet Championship 2024: Registration is open
FIDE and the Italian Chess Federation, together with UniChess, invite all FIDE member federations and eligible players to participate in the FIDE World Cadet Chess Championship U8, U10, U12. The competition will take place in Montesilvano, Italy, from November 14-27, 2024. National federations may register one official player in each category: under 8, 10, and 12 (Open and Girls). The total of six official players and one head of delegation with a valid FIDE ID from the national federation are invited by the organizers. All players must be under 8, 10, or 12 years old as of January 1, 2024. Personal invitations are granted to the top 3 players in each category of the last World Cadet Championships (2023), the Continental Cadet Champions of 2023 (1st ranked), and the players placed 1-3 in the FIDE World Cup for youngsters of 2024. National federations may register as many additional players and accompanying persons as they wish, but only upon confirmation by the organizing committee. The registration deadline is September 30, 2024. During the WCCC, the inaugural World Cadet Chess Solving Championship 2024 in the same six categories will be held on November 21. FIDE World Cadet Chess Championships 2024 official website will be launched by July 1: worldcadets2024.fide.com E-mail: worldcadet@fide.com Invitation Letter and Regulations (PDF)
Chessify wins the World Corporate Chess Championship
The San Francisco company emerged as victors after defeating the Delaware-based ChessMood team in the finals. Third place went to another U.S. company – the global quantitative trading firm SIG, while the European team UBS ended up in fourth place The last day of the World Corporate Championship, organized by FIDE and presented by Freedom Holding, opened with a surprising announcement by FIDE that the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championship will be held in New York at the end of December. The Cipriani Hall on 25 Broadway rang with cheers and applause as FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky broke the news. “I am very happy we had the World Corporate here in New York, and I am excited about one of the most popular chess tournaments in the world coming to this place in December. The World Corporate Chess Championship has shown there is a great appetite for chess in the city and the U.S. We have also seen a lot of great people from great companies come and network. We hope to see more of this in the future and are very much looking forward to the World Rapid and Blitz in December,” said Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding. The Finals and the Smartest Company in the World The atmosphere was vibrant on the final day as teams and spectators gathered for the finals. Even members of other teams who had participated but did not qualify came to watch the games, enjoy chess, and mingle. In the first semi-final, Chessify defeated UBS in a tough match. The UBS team faced additional challenges as some members were under pressure to catch a flight back to Europe. “We did not expect to get this far,” said Andrik Starke, who runs the UBS Bank Chess Club in Zurich and attended the event. Both rounds ended with a 3:1 victory for ChessMood. In the second semi-final duel, ChessMod triumphed over SIG, despite the financial company boasting Sam Shankland – the 2018 U.S. champion and one of the top grandmasters in the world. Chessify won both rounds by a score of 2.5:1.5. In the duel for third place, UBS suffered a defeat in both rounds at the hands of SIG, losing 3:1. The match was tight until the end of the second round when both of UBS’s last boards collapsed in quick succession, handing victory to SIG. The match for the title saw fierce competition between two U.S. chess companies – Chessify and ChessMood. The first round ended in a tough draw – 2:2, but in the second and final round, Chessify scored victories on the top two boards and secured a draw on the third, clinching first place. “It’s a great feeling that we won the title of the world’s smartest company on the day the great World Champion Tigran Petrosian was born. It has been an amazing event – we had a great time, met many interesting people, and it was a wonderful networking opportunity for us to talk about what we do and build connections with other teams and companies here. I would like to thank all the teams that took part – it was wonderful,” said Zaven Andriasian, the top player for Chessify (and the Junior World Chess Champion in 2006). Andriasian also mentioned that he had a bet with the company’s CEO, Gor Vardanyan, that if they won, both would shave their heads! Vardanyan confirmed the deal, but whether this will happen remains to be seen. A Jazzy Night at Cipriani: Awards, Music, and Dancers The closing ceremony at Cipriani on Broadway was a dazzling event, perfectly capturing the classy style and vibrant energy of New York. The venue, known for its elegance and historical charm, provided a fitting backdrop for a night of celebration and music. As the final day drew to a close, the top three teams were invited to the stage to receive their awards. It was an all-American triumph, with the top three teams hailing from the U.S. The ceremony featured a live music performance and a spectacular show inspired by the 1920s, reminiscent of the famous Rockettes. The winners didn’t just walk away with a trophy and the title of the Smartest Company in the World; they were also presented with exquisite designer watches from the Norwegian watchmaker Von Doren, aptly named the Grandmaster II. These prestigious timepieces were handed out by FIDE Vice President Joran Aulin-Jansson, adding an extra touch of class to the proceedings. Cipriani’s grand and sophisticated ambiance made it the perfect setting for such a momentous occasion, reflecting the spirit of New York and the world of chess in perfect harmony. Chess Streamers Join the Final Day of the Event Two major chess streamers attended the final day of the event: Anna Cramling and Levy Rozman (who came straight from his spectacular performance at a tournament in Spain). Both streamers mingled with the audience and players and expressed their support for more events of this type, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together. The announcement that the World Rapid and Blitz Championships would be held in New York was particularly thrilling for them. “As a New Yorker, it’s great to have this event come here. Compared to other events and places, I think we can do better here in New York. The potential is massive, but it has to be done right,” said Levy Rozman, who is also known as GothamChess on social media. This is not the end, but the beginning… FIDE Secretary General Lukas Turley, who was also the director of the World Corporate Chess Championship, said that the tournament proved to be a great success as “several large international corporations, who have been following the event, reached out and asked to take part in this competition next year.” These sentiments were echoed by FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, who in his closing remarks noted that the World Corporate Championship, along with the World Rapid and Blitz Championship coming to New York this December, will mark “the beginning
Epic spectacle this Christmas: FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships come to New York
New York – June 17, 2024 – Chess enthusiasts should get ready for an unforgettable experience as the most intensive global chess event – FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships – are coming to the Big Apple in the last week of December for the first time in history! This globally renowned tournament celebrated as one of the most eagerly anticipated, most exciting and most followed in the chess world, promises a week-long extravaganza of unparalleled intensity Featuring top players from across the globe, the event will provide five days of non-stop chess excitement and spectacular matchups. This prestigious tournament, renowned as the most globally followed chess event – along with the World Championship Match – last year had over 250 million views globally, with the expectation for the record to be broken this year. The official announcement of the event was made at the closing ceremony of the World Corporate Chess Championship – Presented by Freedom Holding Corp., which took place in the business heart of New York from June 15 to 17. The world’s best players, including great champions such as Magnus Carlsen, top U.S. grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, as well as Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun and U.S. top woman player Irina Krush are expected to take part. Photo: Lennart Ootes Followed by millions of people worldwide, the World Rapid and Blitz are the most dynamic and most streamed chess events globally. The audience—whether online or in person—will have the chance to witness, up close, how risk analysis, tactics, and decision-making unfold at lightning speed. “It has long been a dream of FIDE to have such a chess spectacle in New York. Not only will this championship be an absolutely top-notch sporting event, but also a great festival of mind, art, brilliance, and a celebration of the beauty of chess. We invite everyone interested in chess—no matter their level—to join us as we start the journey to make this event one of the most memorable chess events ever to take place in New York,” said Emil Sutovsky, CEO of FIDE. The World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships is expected to be backed in part by Freedom Holding Corp., a multi-national diversified financial services company that has been working with FIDE to promote the game of chess on a global basis. Photo: Rafał Oleksiewicz “Chess is an integral part of the culture of our company, and we are looking forward to the prospect of supporting the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York City, home of the Nasdaq Stock Market, where Freedom Holding Corp. common shares have been traded for the past five years. Our experience with the World Corporate Chess Championship this past weekend has been excellent and we witnessed firsthand the immense potential and interest in chess from the world of U.S. finance and the general public. This furthered our interest in helping to bring the fast-paced game of speed chess to one of the most fast-paced cities in the world,” stated Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. The venue for the event will be announced in the coming weeks. The World Rapid and Blitz will be open to the public and tickets will go on sale soon. Make sure you’re following us for updates so you don’t miss out on securing your spot! About the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships Established in 2012 as an official competition in the FIDE annual calendar, the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships have become a premier event in the chess world. This year’s event coincides with two major chess celebrations—the centenary of the founding of FIDE and 100 years since the famous New York Chess Tournament, which saw the greatest names in chess of the time gather for a legendary tournament in chess and world history. About FIDE The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions. FIDE is constituted as a non-governmental institution, and it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999. FIDE currently has its headquarters in Lausanne (Switzerland), but it was initially founded in 1924 in Paris under the motto “Gens Una Sumus” (Latin for “We Are One Family”). It was one of the very first International Sports Federations, alongside the governing bodies of the sports of Football, Cricket, Swimming, and Auto Racing. It is now one of the largest, encompassing more than 200 countries as affiliate members in the form of National Chess Federations. Chess is a truly global sport nowadays, with dozens of millions of players on all continents and tens of millions of chess games played every day. To learn more about FIDE, visit fide.com About Freedom Holding Corp. Freedom Holding Corp., a Nevada corporation, is a diversified financial services holding company conducting retail securities brokerage, securities trading, investment research, investment counseling, investment banking and underwriting services, mortgages, insurance, and commercial banking, as well as several ancillary businesses which complement its core financial services businesses, all through its subsidiaries, operating under the name Freedom24 in Europe and Central Asia, and Freedom Capital Markets in the United States. Through its subsidiaries, Freedom Holding Corp. employs more than 6,000 people and is a professional participant in the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange, the Astana International Exchange, the Republican Stock Exchange of Tashkent, the Uzbek Republican Currency Exchange, and is a member of the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Freedom Holding Corp. is headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and has operations and subsidiaries in 20 countries, including Kazakhstan, the United States, Cyprus, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and others. Freedom Holding Corp.’s common shares are registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and are traded under the symbol FRHC on the Nasdaq Capital Market, operated by Nasdaq, Inc. To learn more about Freedom Holding Corp., visit freedomholdingcorp.com.