Chess for Freedom is a initiative by FIDE and Cook County Sheriff's Office that brings the transformative power of chess to incarcerated individuals, promoting personal growth and rehabilitation. Since its launch, the project has expanded to over 60 countries, with prisons worldwide embracing chess as a tool for developing critical thinking, discipline, and decision-making.
A major milestone in the project’s success is the FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, which connects inmates globally through chess, fostering positive engagement and a sense of community. This initiative not only enriches lives within prison walls but also offers hope and new opportunities for the future.
Objectives
1. Foster personal development and social reintegration among incarcerated individuals.
2. Promote mental well-being and critical life skills through chess.
3. Create a positive environment that facilitates dialogue and understanding between inmates and society.
Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners
Partnerships
Collaborating with prison administrations, local chess federations, and NGOs focused on rehabilitation programs.
Resources and Materials
Educational Handbooks:
The ICARUS project sees the game of chess in prison as a lever for the development of soft skills in inmates. Through a Toolkit of mixed chess activities and training ICARUS will help participants decode the behaviours they engage in during the game and use them to acquire a greater awareness of their own emotions and those of others, stimulating self-reflection and developing more positive relationships with the others.
Awards and Recognition
In 2024 FIDE, has been recognized as a distinguished recipient of
the Anthem Award, winning Bronze in
the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category
for its Chess for Freedom Project.
The social initiative has also become an Anthem Community Voice Winner,
selected by the online community.
