Teams from India and Mongolia (seniors) emerged as the champions of the third Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. The event was organised by FIDE and the Cook County (Chicago, IL, USA) Sheriff’s Office.

In the youth section, team India lifted the trophy after defeating the defending champions Serbia in the final. The bronze medal went to Ecuador.

It is the third gold medal of the Intercontinental Championship for Prisoners under Mongolia’s belt. In 2021, the country won gold in the inaugural event open competition. A year later, Mongolia came out on top in the women’s section. Mongolia’s triumph is hardly a big surprise as Mongolia has a long-standing tradition of teaching chess in prisons. Since 1956, chess tournaments have been running in all correctional units across the country.

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In the women’s final, Mongolia beat England and took the title; England claimed silver medal. The women’s match for third place between El Salvador and the Philippines was not played due to technical reasons. Both teams shared third place.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said, “This has been an event filled with remarkable stories, incredible talent, and a shared commitment to the transformative power of chess and the resourcefulness of the human spirit. And wherever you go or wherever your life may take you, remember FIDE’s motto, which in Latin reads “Gens Una Sumus” and means – “We are one family.”

The biggest-ever chess event among correctional facilities, organised by FIDE and the Chicago Cook County Sheriff’s Office, is a part of the Chess for Freedom program and continuation of the international championship first held in 2019 and the Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners of 2021 and 2022.

The third Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners started via virtual mode on Wednesday with 118 teams from 50 countries, including India, participating.

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