German chess magazine Perlen vom Bodensee reported that Kazakh billionaire Timur Turlov has acquired ChessBase company. The purchase deal has been agreed and approved, with formal completion pending.

Perlen vom Bodensee contacted ChessBase and received a refusal to comment due to confidentiality agreements. ChessBase stated that Timur Turlov should have the first public word.

A source close to the negotiations revealed several details of the deal. The company’s office will remain in Hamburg, and all jobs will be preserved. Long-time managing director Rainer Woisin will continue to lead the company. The possibility of appointing a second co-director from Kazakhstan is being discussed. The current co-owners will remain with the company in an advisory role.

The location of ChessBase’s software development remains uncertain. The source indicated that the Kazakh side is interested in moving technical development to Kazakhstan.

ChessBase is a Germany-based company founded in 1986. It develops the world’s standard proprietary software for storing, analyzing, and searching recorded chess games. The ChessBase desktop database is actively used by professional players and coaches worldwide. Timur Turlov is a Russian-born Kazakhstani entrepreneur and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.

Credit: Mark Livshitz / FIDE