Timur Turlov, Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Holding Corp.
PARTNER CONTENT
From July 6 to 11, Stellenbosch University, near Cape Town, will host the African Continental Stage of the FIDE ISCF World Schools Team Championship (WSTC), bringing together school teams from across the continent. Jointly organised by FIDE and ISCF, with Freedom Holding Corp. serving as the general partner, the tournament will determine which African team advances to the global WSTC final scheduled for December.
How the Championship Will Unfold
Twenty national school teams have registered for the African stage, representing South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Tanzania, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe, Zambia, Uganda, and Burundi. The participants, aged between eight and fourteen, will compete in a team format. Alongside the tournament, organisers have prepared an educational program that includes lectures, masterclasses, and workshops designed for young players, coaches, and teachers.
The event forms part of a broader international championship that has expanded significantly since its launch. The World Schools Team Chess Championship was first held in Aktau, Kazakhstan, in 2023. Initially conceived as an international competition for school teams, the tournament has since developed into a global championship consisting of continental qualifying events followed by a world final. This year’s competition began in April with the Asian stage in Kazakhstan, where Uzbekistan’s Wisdom School secured qualification for the final. Following the African tournament in Cape Town, additional continental stages will be held in Europe as well as Americas before the winning teams meet in December to compete for the world title.
The championship is organised under the auspices of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in partnership with the International School Chess Federation (ISCF), which focuses specifically on developing chess in schools and integrating the game into educational systems. In September 2024, the FIDE General Assembly supported granting affiliated-organisation status to ISCF. Today, the federation coordinates international school chess initiatives, supports continental competitions, and works with national chess organizations and education systems to expand access to chess for young students.
Beyond organising competitions, the partnership between FIDE and the ISCF places considerable emphasis on education. The continental championships are designed not only to identify the strongest school teams but also to create opportunities for students and teachers to exchange experiences, participate in workshops, and engage with leading figures from the international chess community. This educational component accompanies each continental stage.
Why Timur Turlov Supports Chess Around the World
Freedom Holding Corp., a leading fintech company operating in 22 countries, has supported the championship since its inception and serves as one of its principal partners. The company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Timur Turlov, is also President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and President of the International School Chess Federation (ISCF). Mr. Turlov is an avid chess enthusiast himself and has spent more than three years promoting and developing the game both in Kazakhstan, where Freedom is headquartered, and internationally. In his view, chess plays an important role in developing cognitive abilities and can make a significant positive contribution to the intellectual growth of children and young people.
“Chess is a unique game. It shapes the way we think, teaches discipline and decision-making, and helps us understand the consequences of our actions. I say this not only as President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and the International School Chess Federation, but also as a father whose children play chess. Game after game, they learn patience, they learn how to win, and, just as importantly, how to lose with dignity,” said Timur Turlov.
Turlov is also one of the wealthiest people in Kazakhstan, with an estimated net worth of around $5.5 billion. Freedom Holding Corp., a fintech business operating in 22 countries, has been listed on NASDAQ under the ticker FRHC since 2019. As of today, the holding company’s market capitalisation is around $7.5 billion. Turlov’s business operates across several sectors, ranging from banking, investment and telecommunications services to lifestyle and media. Together, these businesses form Freedom’s digital ecosystem, which Turlov is developing in the United States, Europe and Central Asia.
In 2025, Freedom Holding Corp. partnered with FIDE and the ISCF to organise the World Schools Team Chess Championship in the United States. The event brought together more than fifty school teams from different countries and introduced the Smart Moves Summit, an educational forum held alongside the competition. The summit gathered representatives of FIDE, national chess federations, educators, researchers, and ed-tech entrepreneurs to discuss the role of chess in education, cognitive development, and classroom learning.
Freedom Holding Corp. has also expanded its involvement in the chess ecosystem through technology. In April 2026, the company acquired ChessBase, one of the world’s oldest and most widely used providers of chess software, databases, and analytical tools. Freedom announced plans to invest €5 million in the platform while providing access to its digital ecosystem, which serves more than 14 million users.
Turlov has played a prominent role in the development of chess in Kazakhstan. Since becoming President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation in 2023, he has overseen a period during which Kazakhstani players have won 448 medals at official international competitions. During the same period, the federation has expanded programs aimed at increasing youth participation and strengthening the country’s competitive chess system.
One of the federation’s priorities has been the introduction of chess into the education system. Supported by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, the program has expanded steadily, and today more than 1,500 schools across Kazakhstan include chess as part of their educational curriculum. The initiative seeks to make chess more accessible to children at an early age while integrating it into broader educational programs.
According to Freedom Holding, the company allocates more than $15 million annually to the development of chess through tournaments, educational initiatives, youth programs, infrastructure, and international projects. These efforts combine support for elite competition with initiatives aimed at expanding participation in school chess both in Kazakhstan and internationally.
