BETBY to sponsor MOVE Cup chess tournament in Barcelona

Betting infrastructure provider BETBY has become the main sponsor of the MOVE Cup, which will be held in Barcelona on 19 and 20 January 2027. Eight of the world's leading grandmasters will take part in the rapid chess tournament. The event was presented at a press conference in Barcelona.

The tournament's prize pool is 300,000 euros. The same amount will be donated to the MOVE Foundation, which supports the development of chess, young talent, and research on chess and mental health. The organizers aim for the tournament to earn a regular place on the international chess calendar.

The first name in the lineup is Magnus Carlsen, BETBY's global brand ambassador. The names of the remaining seven grandmasters will be announced one by one in the coming weeks.

Carlsen first met with BETBY at ICE Barcelona in 2025. In 2026, the company brought Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Levy Rozman together at the same event. The MOVE Cup program will begin on 18 January with a charity event at the BETBY stand (5K20) at ICE Barcelona. Players, donors and partners will take part there in a special game played in the hand and brain format.

BETBY CEO and co-founder Leonid Pertsovskiy said that, following the success of the chess event at ICE Barcelona 2026, they had planned a larger event. Pertsovskiy stated that they want the MOVE Cup to become a regular event on the global chess calendar.