Kaspersky Lab to protect, support FIDE and World Chess Championship 2017-18

Modern-day chess is a sport that combines human excellence with mathematical accuracy and computer analysis like no other. As the combination of human expertise and advanced computer technologies is at the center of its business philosophy, Kaspersky Lab joins FIDE and World Chess as cyber-security partner for the next two years.

The partnership will include complex cyber-security protection for FIDE headquarters, several national chess federations, chess players competing in the World Chess Championship and the infrastructure of the tournament.

It also includes cyber-security training for players. Kaspersky Lab's branding will be visible on all player tables during the matches of the World Chess Championship 2017-18.

Georgious Makropoulos, Deputy President of FIDE, says about the partnership: "I am delighted that the world's top players will have the opportunity to benefit from this partnership with one of the world's leading cyber-security companies. And it is immensely gratifying to see another global brand sponsor our sport."

Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, comments: "I'm very proud that we're now a partner of the World Chess Championship. The ultimate game of strategy, chess involves lots of excitement and tension too. The top chess tournaments are all about human brainpower aided today by computer technologies. Some games at the very top level are simply among the top human achievements real masterpieces. And we're happy to become a part of this."

Ilya Merenzon, Chief Executive of World Chess, adds: "Nowadays chess lives and breathes as an IT-related sport, played by hundreds of millions of people around the world. This makes Kaspersky Lab a natural partner of the game as it continues to gain in popularity."

The FIDE World Chess Championship is a two-year series of six events taking place around the world that feature the world's top grandmasters, culminating in a bi-annual World Chess Championship Match that determines the World Champion - one of the most prestigious titles in the world of sport. The 2017-18 Championship tour will start in February 2017 in Sharjah, UAE, and will include four Grand Prix Tournaments, the Candidates Tournament and the World Chess Championship Match in November2018.

Kaspersky Lab also supports several chess players. Since 2016, the company has sponsored chess Grandmaster and World Vice Champion Sergey Karjakin; and since 2012, it partners with a young candidate master Andrey Tsvetkov, as well as Grandmaster and the world junior chess champion Mikhail Antipov. Within these partnerships, Kaspersky Lab provides information security and support in arranging and participating in sporting tournaments.