International Chess Day

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International Chess Day
Chess king.jpg
Observed byVarious countries
Date20 July
Next time20 July 2026 (2026-07-20)
FrequencyAnnual
First time1966
Related to FIDE, Chess

International Chess Day is annually celebrated on 20 July, the day the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded in 1924.

International Chess Day is celebrated every year; the reason behind its celebration is to commemorate the formation of FIDE, the globally recognized governing body of chess. The idea to celebrate the International Day of Chess was first proposed by UNESCO, and it has been celebrated as such since 1966 [1] after it was established by FIDE. In 2013, International Chess Day was celebrated in 178 countries according to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the then President of FIDE. [2]

On 12 December 2019, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution recognizing the day. [3]

References

  1. "History of International Chess Day". Chess-teacher.com. 21 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  2. "Interview by Kirsan Ilyumzhinov - in Russian". Vesti.ru. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  3. UN adopts July 20 as World Chess Day, FIDE, 13 December 2019, retrieved 2 May 2020