Magnus Carlsen is scheduled to attend the launch of the MOVE Cup in Barcelona on 20 October 2026. The announcement will introduce a new elite chess tournament planned for 18-20 January 2027, alongside ICE Barcelona. ICE stands for International Casino Exhibition.
The launch
A press conference is planned to be held on the 20th of October at 17:00 local time in The Library at Cotton House, Barcelona. Carlsen and BETBY CEO and co-founder Leonid Pertsovskiy are named among the speakers, with a Q&A to follow.
The MOVE Cup is described as the first event of the MOVE Foundation, an initiative intended to support chess growth, young talent and research on chess and mental health. The Cup will begin with a charity event where leading players face donors and celebrities.
The organisers describe plans for a strong prize fund and a spectator-friendly format, but the invitation does not give a prize amount, time control or full player list. Carlsen's announced role is at the October launch; it does not confirm his participation in the January tournament.
Barcelona and chess
ICE's official website confirms that its 2027 exhibition runs from 18-20 January. Carlsen also appeared at ICE Barcelona in January 2026, playing a blindfold exhibition game against Hikaru Nakamura, with commentary by Levy Rozman.
