DILI, 20 July 2025 (TATOLI) – For the first time in the history of the CPLP, chess has been officially included as a competitive sport. This historic milestone was made possible through the initiative of Timor-Leste, host of the 12th edition of the CPLP Games.
Francisco Carapinha, President of the Cape Verde Chess Federation expressed deep appreciation for Timor-Leste’s key role in integrating chess into the CPLP sporting agenda.
“Timor-Leste has made history in Lusophone chess. For the first time, chess is part of the CPLP Games. This is a great source of pride, not only for the people of Timor-Leste, but for the entire Portuguese-speaking community,” Carapinha said during a press conference held this week at the Dili Convention Center (CCD).
Carapinha acknowledged that the journey to bring chess into the CPLP Games was not easy. However, he credited strong collaboration, particularly under the Lusophone Chess Confederation (CLX), established in 2018 in Batumi, Georgia. Timor-Leste played a crucial role in its founding, represented by Zeferino Viegas, President of the Timor-Leste Chess Federation (FXTL).
At the 2025 CPLP Games in Dili, six countries—Portugal, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe—will participate in the chess tournament, each sending one male and one female athlete. Timor-Leste, however, will field a larger team of four players, two men and two women, underscoring its strong commitment to promoting the sport.
Zeferino Viegas emphasized that the proposal to include chess in this year’s CPLP Games came directly from FXTL.
“It was FXTL itself that recommended chess be included in the 12th edition of the CPLP Games,” he said.
Journalist: Cidalia Fátima
Editor: Armandina Moniz
Translation: Filomeno Martins
