By Andrey Avsitidiysky
The Candidates Tournament, held at the Cap St Georges Hotel from March 28-April 16, 2026 sparked a huge surge of interest in chess in Cyprus. For 20 days in the tournament’s fan zone, dozens of children and teenagers chatted with the stars, attended lectures and took part in masterclasses. World chess legend Boris Gelfand gave a simultaneous exhibition on 20 boards. Only 17-year-old Olga Mikhailina managed to
