World Chess , the London-listed company behind the official online platform of the International Chess Federation (Fide), has struck a partnership with the Chess Federation of Tajikistan in a move aimed at deepening its international footprint.
Under the agreement, World Chess will host eight national online qualifying tournaments for the President’s Cup 2025 on its platform, culminating in an in-person final in Dushanbe in November. The collaboration also extends into training, fair-play initiatives and digital chess education — areas the company sees as central to its long-term growth strategy.
The tie-up underscores the company’s ambition to become the preferred digital partner for national chess federations as they seek to modernise player development and competition. “This collaboration is a natural fit with our mission to grow chess globally by combining national traditions with world-class digital infrastructure,” said Ilya Merenzon, chief executive of World Chess.
For Tajikistan, the agreement provides access to tools and visibility that can help nurture grassroots participation in a country with a strong chess tradition. “Partnering with World Chess allows us to bring the tournament to a wider audience, provide modern tools for training and development, and ensure that our players can compete on an international standard platform,” said Zafar Mirzo, president of the national federation.
World Chess, which listed in London in 2023, is best known for organising Fide championship matches in the US and UK, and for launching Armageddon, a chess league designed for prime-time television. It also runs Fide Online Arena, the sport’s official online gaming platform.
While the Tajikistan partnership will not immediately transform the company’s financial profile, it highlights a strategic thrust towards federations in emerging markets, where chess enjoys deep cultural roots but has often lacked modern infrastructure. Analysts say that if World Chess can replicate this model across multiple federations, it could build a durable base of institutional partnerships, enhancing both user growth and recurring revenues from its platform.
Shares in World Chess (LSE: CHSS) were unchanged in early London trading on Friday.