Freedom Holding Corp. and its founder, Timur Turlov, an entrepreneur and chess supporter, have played an important role in bringing this project to life. For Freedom Holding, chess has become one of the company’s most visible social and educational initiatives. The company supports tournaments, youth chess programs, digital chess infrastructure, and access to international competitions for schoolchildren. Support from a partner of this kind is especially important for Africa, where initiatives like this can create new educational and social opportunities for children.
The World Schools Team Chess Championship is held under the auspices of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF). One of the key figures behind the championship is Timur Turlov - founder and majority shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp., an international fintech group listed on Nasdaq. Turlov also heads the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and has served as president of the ISCF since September 2024.
For the first time, Africa is hosting a competition of this level, bringing together young chess players from different countries. The winners of the tournament in Cape Town will earn the right to compete in the championship finals, which will take place in December 2026. There, they will compete for the title of the world’s best school teams against the winners and top teams from the qualifying rounds held in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
