BETBY to Sponsor MOVE Cup Chess Tournament Featuring Magnus Carlsen
Spain.- 23 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com BETBY, the international sportsbook solutions provider, has announced that it will become the powering sponsor of the MOVE Cup, a new international rapid chess tournament scheduled for 19 and 20 January 2027 in Barcelona, Spain.
The competition will bring together eight leading international grandmasters, including Magnus Carlsen, one of the world’s most recognised chess players and a BETBY global brand ambassador.
The initiative aims to combine elite competition, entertainment and charitable activities during the week of ICE Barcelona 2027.
€300,000 Prize Fund and €300,000 Charitable Contribution
The inaugural MOVE Cup will feature a €300,000 prize fund.
An additional €300,000 will be contributed to the MOVE Foundation, which supports chess development and social initiatives.
The foundation’s activities focus on:
- Supporting young chess talent.
- Promoting educational opportunities through chess.
- Encouraging research into chess and mental health.
- Supporting inclusion and community participation.
Organisers aim to establish the MOVE Cup as a recurring event on the international chess calendar.
Magnus Carlsen Leads the Player Line-Up
Magnus Carlsen is the first confirmed participant.
The Norwegian former world champion will be joined by seven additional grandmasters, whose identities will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The tournament will use a rapid chess format, designed to deliver fast-paced matches and an engaging spectator experience.
BETBY believes this approach can help introduce chess to wider audiences while strengthening interest in the discipline.
BETBY Strengthens Its Connection with Chess
The company has developed an increasingly close relationship with chess through sponsorships, sports content and promotional activities.
Chess also forms part of the BETBY.Games portfolio, the company’s offering of events for sportsbook platforms.
During ICE Barcelona 2026, BETBY organised a chess event featuring:
- Magnus Carlsen.
- Hikaru Nakamura.
- Levy Rozman, internationally known as GothamChess.
The MOVE Cup represents an expansion of that strategy, moving beyond promotional activities towards a dedicated international tournament.
Comments from BETBY
Leonid Pertsovskiy, CEO and Co-Founder of BETBY, highlighted chess as a discipline built around strategic thinking, analysis and adaptability.
He explained that following the company’s successful chess event at ICE Barcelona 2026, BETBY wanted to support a larger and more ambitious project.
Pertsovskiy also expressed the ambition of establishing the MOVE Cup as a recurring competition on the global chess calendar.
The sponsorship is intended to strengthen BETBY’s relationships with professional players, enthusiasts and organisations connected to the sport.
Activities During ICE Barcelona 2027
The MOVE Cup will coincide with ICE Barcelona 2027, one of the international gambling industry’s major exhibitions.
The programme will include a charitable activation at BETBY’s stand, 5K20, during the exhibition.
The initiative will bring together industry representatives, players and supporters of the MOVE Foundation.
The eight grandmasters will subsequently compete on 19 and 20 January.
Industry Impact and Next Steps
BETBY will announce the remaining players and additional organisational details in the coming weeks.
The company aims to strengthen its position within chess through a strategy combining sports sponsorship, entertainment and social responsibility.
For the iGaming industry, the MOVE Cup illustrates how sportsbook providers are diversifying their commercial and sponsorship activities.
The project also reflects growing interest in chess, whose digital reach and international audience offer opportunities for collaboration between brands, athletes and sporting communities.
Editó: @fonta
