Team Mongolia became the winner of the first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners after defeating Team Zimbabwe in the final of the biggest ever chess event among correctional facilities. The event was organized by FIDE and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (Chicago, IL, USA) and coincided with the International Day of Education in Prison.

Both matches of the day were tremendously close, showing that these two teams clearly deserved to be in the final. The first round of the final was won by team Zimbabwe 2½–1½.  Mongolia bounced back and won the second set 3-1, winning the final on game points.

Mongolia was the first team to progress to the final by winning the Group 1 round-robin tournament with a perfect score.

The three-day tournament aimed to popularize chess as an efficient tool for reintegrating incarcerated people ran from October 13-15, 2021.  The event attracted 41 teams from 30 countries representing all continents, providing an opportunity for inmates to play with their peers across the globe.