Partnership builds on Freedom’s long-term support for international chess as Geneva prepares to host the historic Gukesh – Sindarov title match
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / September 16, 2026 / Freedom Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:FRHC) will serve as General Partner of the Salesforce FIDE World Championship Match 2026, continuing a long-standing partnership with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) spanning elite competition, education and chess development.
Freedom’s involvement in the 2026 World Championship follows several years of cooperation with FIDE. The company was General Partner of the 2023 World Championship Match in Astana and title sponsor of the 2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships in New York, one of FIDE’s flagship global events. It has also supported international competitions and initiatives focused on expanding access to chess, developing young talent and strengthening the wider chess ecosystem.
Earlier this year, Freedom and FIDE further expanded their cooperation through a partnership covering international and regional tournaments, educational programmes, support for players and coaches, training initiatives and talent development.
“The World Championship represents the highest level of our game, but the strength of chess is built far beyond a single event,” said Timur Turlov, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Freedom Holding Corp. and President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. “It depends on strong federations, opportunities for young players, good coaches, education, technology and partnerships that are built for the long term. That has been the thinking behind our cooperation with FIDE from the beginning. We are proud to continue that work and to support a World Championship that will bring the very best of chess to a global audience.”
The 2026 match will bring together two of the outstanding players of a new generation. Reigning World Champion Gukesh D of India will defend his title against challenger Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan over a maximum of 14 classical games from 22 November to 12 December.
Both players will be 20 when the match begins, making Gukesh-Sindarov the youngest World Championship contest in the history of the event. Gukesh will make his first defence of the title he won in Singapore in 2024, while Sindarov earned his place in the match by winning the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament.
The official programme will begin on 22 November with an Opening Ceremony at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The match itself will be played at the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, one of Geneva’s most distinctive cultural institutions and home to an internationally renowned collection of manuscripts, rare books and documents reflecting centuries of human thought.
“The World Championship is the pinnacle of chess,” said Emil Sutovsky, CEO of FIDE. “It is the event that determines who stands at the top. We are proud to have the support of Freedom -a company that champions smart solutions and takes a long-term view, thinking several moves ahead, much like the world’s top chess players.”
Salesforce is the Title Sponsor and Technological Partner of the FIDE World Championship Matches under a multi-year agreement. Freedom Holding Corp., as General Partner of the 2026 match, will support FIDE in delivering and promoting one of the most important events on the international chess calendar.
For Freedom, the partnership forms part of a broader commitment to chess as a platform for education, intellectual development and international exchange. In addition to supporting top-level competition, the group has invested in school chess, training programmes and initiatives designed to create opportunities for players, coaches and young people in Kazakhstan and internationally.
About FIDE
The International Chess Federation (FIDE), founded in Paris in 1924 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the international governing body for chess. FIDE oversees international chess competition and the World Championship cycle and brings together 204 national chess federations around the world.
About Freedom Holding Corp.
Freedom Holding Corp. provides financial services in 24 countries, including Kazakhstan, the United States, multiple EU countries, Uzbekistan, and Armenia. The Company’s principal executive office is located in New York City. In Kazakhstan, Freedom is actively developing its financial and digital ecosystem, which includes Freedom Bank, Freedom Broker, the insurance companies Freedom Life and Freedom insurance, as well as a lifestyle segment that features Arbuz.kz, Freedom Ticketon, and Aviata. Freedom Holding Corp. shares are traded on the U.S. technology exchange NASDAQ, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), and the Astana International Exchange (AIX) under the ticker symbol FRHC. Freedom Holding Corp. is regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the common stock is included in the Russell 3000® Index.
Contact Information
Natalia Kharlashina
Head of Public Relations
prglobal@ffin.kz
+77013641454
SOURCE: Freedom Holding Corp.
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