BETBY sponsors new elite rapid chess tournament in Barcelona
The tournament features a €300,000 prize fund and an equal donation to charity, with Magnus Carlsen confirmed as the first competitor.
BARCELONA · Sportsbook supplier BETBY has been named the main sponsor of the newly launched MOVE Cup, an elite rapid chess tournament coming to Barcelona in January 2027. The event will feature eight of the world's top grandmasters competing for a €300,000 prize fund. An equal €300,000 contribution will be made to the MOVE Foundation, which supports chess development, young talent and research into chess and mental health. The tournament was officially unveiled at a press conference in Barcelona. World number one Magnus Carlsen, BETBY's global brand ambassador, has been confirmed as the first player in the lineup. The remaining seven grandmasters will be announced individually over the coming weeks. The tournament is scheduled for January 19 and 20, 2027, during ICE Barcelona week.
Leonid Pertsovskiy, CEO and co-founder of BETBY, said the company wanted to build on its previous chess events. "After the successful chess event during ICE Barcelona 2026, we wanted to bring the world’s best players back to this city for something bigger and more ambitious," Pertsovskiy said. "The MOVE Cup is that step. The ambition of the MOVE Cup is to become a regular event on the global chess calendar, and we at BETBY are proud to support that."
The event's program will begin on January 18 with a charity activation at the BETBY stand (5K20) during the ICE Barcelona trade show. That activation will use a special hand-and-brain format, bringing together leading players, donors and partners. BETBY's involvement with chess includes bringing Carlsen to its stand at ICE Barcelona in 2025 and again in 2026, when it also featured grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Levy Rozman. Organizers aim for the MOVE Cup to establish itself as a regular fixture on the international chess calendar. The tournament combines elite competition with a charitable purpose through its partnership with the MOVE Foundation.