BETBY becomes 'powering sponsor' of MOVE Cup rapid chess tournament in Barcelona in January 2027

BETBY, a Malta-based sportsbook provider, has agreed to act as the "powering sponsor" of the MOVE Cup, a newly announced chess tournament. The event is described as a new format for the game, built around rapid play, and will be held in Barcelona on 19-20 January 2027.

The tournament will carry a €300,000 prize fund. A further €300,000 will be donated to the MOVE Foundation, a non-profit that supports chess development, talent development, and research into chess and mental health. Magnus Carlsen is the first player confirmed for the field, and seven more participants are due to be announced. Further details are expected in the coming months.

Chess is a core product in the Betby.Games portfolio, and Carlsen has worked with the company as a brand ambassador since 2024. BETBY has previously said it regards chess as a natural fit for betting. Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Sportsbook Product, pointed in December last year to the scale of the game's online audience, noting that Chess.com alone has more than 200 million members. The company has also followed the popularity of chess streamers such as Levy Rozman, who is known online as GothamChess.

The sponsorship follows a chess event BETBY organised in January at the ICE trade show in Barcelona, which featured Carlsen, Rozman and Hikaru Nakamura. Leonid Pertsovskiy, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BETBY, said the company wanted to bring leading players back to the city for "something bigger and more ambitious", calling the MOVE Cup "that step". The company says the deal builds on its growing connection with the global chess community.

BETBY will again use ICE to promote its chess activity. It plans a charity activation on 13 January at its stand on the show floor, bringing together players, donors and partners. Pertsovskiy said the aim is for the MOVE Cup to become a regular fixture on the global chess calendar.