The humanitarian event “Chess 2 Change” takes place today, Sunday, June 14, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM US Eastern Time. Hosted online via Chess.com, the initiative matches business executives with talented children from impoverished backgrounds to help provide pathways out of poverty through the game of chess.
The event featured a specialized “Hand & Brain” chess variant, where pairs of players work together to execute moves. In this setup, the “Brain” calls out a specific piece type (such as a pawn, knight, or bishop), and the “Hand” determines which specific piece to move and where to place it on the board. For this tournament, the participating children acted as the “Brain,” directing the strategy, while the business executives served as the “Hand.”
Beyond the competitive aspect, the primary goal of the event is long-term mentorship and financial sponsorship. Following the tournament, the participating business executives sponsor the youth through direct donations. Depending on individual needs, these sponsorships are designed to cover essential living and educational costs, including:
- Food, clothing, and housing assistance.
- School fees, textbooks, and internet access.
- Laptops, chess equipment, training, and tournament travel expenses.
This tournament is an excellent way to have fun, promote chess and to combine your chess interest with making the world a better place, by forever changing the lives of talented kids from poor backgrounds and give them a chance to pursue their chess skills and get out of poverty.
The tournament will be broadcasted live online on Twitch and Chess.com. The official Twitch coverage will have live commentary and analysis by Grandmasters Jennifer Shahade and Maurice Ashley.
