FIDE President Timur Turlov visited the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on October 19 to meet with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides. Accompanied by Evgenii Tiapkin, CEO of Freedom24, Turlov discussed the island's rapid chess growth and how Cyprus could serve as a model for strengthening chess ecosystems globally. The conversation centered on recent achievements and future ambitions for the game on the island.

Cyprus has transformed into a prominent European chess center in just three years through a combination of major international tournaments, domestic competitions, youth training, and permanent facilities. The Cyprus Chess Federation has worked closely with government officials and private sponsors to build this infrastructure. The nation has hosted stages of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix, with plans to welcome both the Candidates Tournament and Women's Candidates Tournament in 2026, which will offer a one million euro prize fund.

Support from Freedom24 has fueled domestic chess activity, generating 26 tournaments since 2023 that include the national and open championships. The Freedom24 Chess Academy opened in Limassol under International Master Artem Sadovsky's direction, focusing on developing young players for international representation. Around 2,000 people actively play chess on the island, with youth comprising the majority of this growing community.

Cyprus demonstrated its rising competitive strength at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, where the women's team captured silver in Category D. Starting as the 125th-ranked team by average rating, Cyprus climbed to 91st place among 189 competing nations. Twelve-year-old Aida Păunescu delivered an impressive performance on board one, achieving a 2049 rating performance and earning 142 rating points.

Turlov emphasized that major tournaments must create lasting value beyond the final moves. Hosting elite events should strengthen local players, develop coaching capacity, establish regular competition schedules, improve facilities, and reinforce federations. FIDE aims to help additional nations construct sustainable systems suited to their own conditions, viewing Cyprus as a blueprint for how government support, federation leadership, and private investment can work together to build chess at every level.