BETBY named title sponsor of MOVE Cup chess tournament in Barcelona

BETBY has been announced as title sponsor of the MOVE Cup, a new elite rapid chess tournament to be held in Barcelona on 19 and 20 January 2027. The event was presented at a press conference in Barcelona.

The tournament carries a €300,000 prize fund, alongside a contribution of the same amount, €300,000, to the MOVE Foundation, which supports chess development, young talent and research into chess and mental health. Magnus Carlsen, BETBY's global ambassador, has been confirmed as the first player; the other seven grandmasters are to be announced individually in the coming weeks.

The programme begins on 18 January with a charity event at BETBY's stand (5K20) during ICE Barcelona, bringing together players, donors and partners in a special hand-and-brain format. The MOVE Cup itself follows on 19 and 20 January 2027, during ICE Barcelona week.

Leonid Pertsovskiy, CEO and co-founder of BETBY, said: "O xadrez é um jogo de raciocínio claro, análise, paciência e resiliência." He explained that the success of the chess event at ICE Barcelona 2026 led BETBY to want to bring the world's top players back to the city for a bigger and more ambitious occasion, and that the MOVE Cup is that step. According to him, the ambition is for the MOVE Cup to become a regular fixture on the world chess calendar, and BETBY supports it with pride.

It was reported that BETBY's support for the MOVE Cup follows its growing connection with the global chess community. Carlsen first joined BETBY at ICE Barcelona in 2025 and returned for a second consecutive year in 2026, when the supplier brought together Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Levy Rozman in one of its brand activities.