What’s the most important thing Cyprus teaches you?
Live here long enough, and this lesson is inevitable…
Cyprus teaches you a lot of lessons, doesn’t it?
It teaches you patience. To wrangle with the Land Registry when officials assure you the paperwork that’s right there in your hand is missing.
It teaches you flexibility. To sigh and light a candle when another rolling power cut takes out the new season of Bridgerton.
And it teaches you the fine art of adaptation. How to reorganise your entire week for a plumber who never shows.
But above all, Cyprus teaches you to think ahead…
Three moves in reserve
Life on this island never goes to plan.
Sometimes the surprises are exciting – you wake up to find the barrier on Ledra Street has opened overnight! At others they’re more of a shock – like the day the banks shut their doors and a swathe of savings were swiped.
But, live here long enough, and you’ll learn the inevitable: if you don’t think at least six moves ahead, Cyprus will move your pieces for you!
And if that sounds suspiciously like a game of chess, well, a quick rummage through the Mail’s archives reveals that life on this island has been compared to the Game of Kings more than once! Especially when discussing the Cyprus problem, where strategy, patience and the occasional unexpected move are very much part of the game.
One particularly pithy column actually described the 2007 Reunification Talks as a chess game in which every tiny move of a pawn was triumphantly presented as a breakthrough!
The point being that thinking ahead here isn’t just habit. It’s strategy. Just as you would in the game, you need to keep one eye on the board, one on your opponent, and three moves in reserve.
Just one bright mind
This, perhaps, is why chess suits Cyprus so well.
It’s a game that rewards exactly the qualities the island teaches us. Plus, unlike most games, chess doesn’t care that we’re a tiny Mediterranean nation. You may need millions of people and acres of space to field a world-class football team or win Olympic gold. But chess needs only one bright mind – and the ability to think a few moves ahead.
Take Andreas Kelires, for example.
You may never have heard of him. But in the chess world, he’s Big News!
A prodigy from an early age, the Nicosia native won the Cyprus Chess Championship twice – while still in his teens. At the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Norway, he scored nine points out of 11 (again: huge!). And just two years later, in 2016, Cyprus had its very first Grandmaster.
“If you don’t think about chess 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s impossible,” he once remarked. “If someone chooses the life of a professional player, they should be psychologically ready for huge defeats and drawbacks…”
Sounds a little like life in Cyprus, doesn’t it? Constant vigilance, careful planning, and the occasional crushing setback! But Kelires is far from the island’s only chess success story…
Cypriot players have been making their mark internationally for decades. At the 1984 Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki, future three-time national champion Marios Schinis captured an individual gold medal, while Costas Perdikis followed up four years later with a bronze at the same global competition.
More recently, a new generation of players has begun to emerge, including competitors such as Alexandros Isaakidis, whose strong performance at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest saw him score 7.5 points from nine games, securing his FIDE Master title.
In other words, the island that has spent decades learning to think a few moves ahead is starting to prove that those skills translate rather well to the 64 squares!
The battle royale
Cyprus’ growing chess reputation isn’t just about individual players…
In just a few days, we’ll be hosting one of the biggest events in the chess world! From March 28 to April 16, Cyprus itself hold the FIDE Candidates Tournament – eight of the world’s strongest players battling it out for the right to challenge for the World Championship.
If strategic brilliance and quiet psychological warfare appeal to you (and, given our all-encompassing interest in national politics, that’s almost all of us!), this is a must-see.
It’s interesting to note that much of the momentum behind Cyprus’ growing fascination with chess has come from an unlikely ally: the private sector.
Companies such as Freedom24 – the international online investment platform – have become pioneering supporters of local chess, backing tournaments, supporting academies and helping introduce the game to younger generations.
The efforts are working: schools are embracing the game, clubs are flourishing, and local tournaments continue to attract increasing numbers of players.
Businesses, too, are recognising its value. Through initiatives linked to events such as the FIDE World School Chess Championship, the company has also been encouraging schools in Cyprus to take part in global competitions and explore how chess can become part of the educational experience.
Your Own Grandmaster
In short, Cyprus is becoming Chess Island!
Which, when you think about it, shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, we’ve all been trained to think strategically for decades…
Spend long enough navigating government bureaucracy, and you start to develop a very particular skill set: the ability to stay calm; watch carefully; and think dozens of moves ahead.
On this island, where we grow up learning to anticipate the unexpected, adapting to sudden changes, and juggling multiple possible outcomes, chess is a natural fit.
Perhaps it’s time that you – or your kids – gave chess a go. It could be that there’s the makings of a Grandmaster in your family!
HOW TO WATCH THE CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT
The FIDE Candidates Tournament will take place in Cyprus from March 28 to April 16, at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort near Paphos. Eight of the world’s strongest grandmasters will compete in a gruelling double round-robin tournament, with the winner earning the right to challenge for the World Chess Championship.
It’s the final and most demanding stage in the championship cycle – every move matters, and a single mistake can change the entire outcome.
Spectators can attend selected sessions at the venue, while games will also be broadcast live online with expert commentary analysing every position and strategy.
WHY KIDS ARE GREAT AT CHESS
It might seem surprising, but children often excel at chess faster than adults. Young players tend to absorb patterns quickly, think creatively and approach the game without the fear of making mistakes. Their brains are also highly adaptable, making it easier to memorise openings and recognise tactical opportunities.
Perhaps, most importantly, children are happy to lose – and in chess, losing is one of the best ways to improve. Every defeat becomes a lesson. It’s one reason why more schools around the world are introducing chess into the classroom: the game strengthens concentration, problem-solving and strategic thinking, skills that extend far beyond the board.
WHERE TO PLAY CHESS IN CYPRUS
If watching world-class chess inspires you to try the game yourself, there are plenty of places to start. Chess clubs and academies operate across Cyprus, offering lessons, tournaments and casual games for players of all levels.
In Limassol, the Limassol Chess Club and Shah Mat Masters run training sessions and competitions. Nicosia hosts several active clubs including Arion Chess Club and Kaissa Chess Club, while Paphos and Larnaca both have thriving local chess communities.
Many clubs welcome beginners, and several academies specialise in teaching children and young players.
FREEDOM24 AND CHESS IN CYPRUS
Much of the recent momentum behind chess in Cyprus has been driven by growing private support – and Freedom24has emerged as one of the game’s most enthusiastic champions on the island.
The international online investment platform has backed tournaments, supported academies and partnered with the Cyprus Chess Federation to help expand the sport nationwide. Through initiatives such as the Freedom24 Chess Academy and sponsorship of youth competitions, the company is helping bring chess to younger generations and strengthening the island’s competitive chess culture.
In recent years, Freedom24 has also played a role in supporting major international events in Cyprus, helping transform the island into a recognised destination on the global chess calendar.
THE GAME THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD
In 1996, the chess world witnessed something extraordinary. World champion Garry Kasparov sat down to face an unusual opponent: Deep Blue, a supercomputer built by IBM.
At the time, most experts believed no machine could truly compete with a human grandmaster. Yet in the first game of the match, Deep Blue did the unthinkable – it defeated Kasparov.
The victory stunned the chess world and made global headlines. Although Kasparov eventually won the overall match, the moment marked the beginning of a new era in chess. Just a year later, in 1997, an upgraded version of Deep Blue would defeat him in a full match – the first time a computer had beaten a reigning world champion.