The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE, is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. FIDE was founded in Paris, France, on July 20, 1924. Its motto is Gens una sumus, Latin for 'We are one Family'. In 1999, FIDE was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As of December 21, 2023, there are 201 member federations of FIDE.
The United States Chess Federation is the governing body for chess competition in the United States and represents the U.S. in FIDE, the World Chess Federation. US Chess administers the official national rating system, awards national titles, sanctions over twenty national championships annually, and publishes two magazines: Chess Life and Chess Life for Kids. The USCF was founded and incorporated in Illinois in 1939, from the merger of two older chess organizations. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Its membership as of 2020 as COVID hit was 97,000; as of 2024 the membership was 112,000.
Fast chess, also known as speed chess, is a type of chess in which each player is given less time to consider their moves than classical chess time controls allow. Fast chess is subdivided, by decreasing time controls, into rapid chess, blitz chess, and bullet chess. Armageddon chess is a particular variation of fast chess in which different rules apply for each of the two players.
Ana Srebrnič is a Slovene chess player. She was awarded the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) by FIDE in 2006.
The World Amateur Chess Championship is a tournament organised by FIDE and Amateur Chess Organisation (ACO).
Bassem Amin is an Egyptian chess grandmaster and medical doctor. He was awarded the Grandmaster title by FIDE in 2006. Amin is the highest rated Egyptian and African player and the only medical doctor to have a FIDE peak rating of 2700+. Amin has also won the African chess championship seven times; 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024.
Chess is played all over the world. The international governing body of chess is FIDE, established in 1924. Most national chess federations are now members of FIDE; several supranational chess organizations are also affiliated with FIDE.
The Chinese Chess Association (CCA) (中国国际象棋协会) is the governing body of chess in China, one of the federations of FIDE, and a member of the Asian Chess Federation (ACF). It is the principal authority over all chess events in China, including the China Chess League (CCL). Founded in 1986, the CCA is headquartered in Beijing.
The FIDE World Cup is a major chess event organized by FIDE, the international governing body. Three different formats have been used:
A chess title is a title regulated by a chess governing body and bestowed upon players based on their performance and rank. Such titles are usually granted for life. The international chess governing body FIDE grants several titles, the most prestigious of which is Grandmaster; many national chess federations also grant titles such as "National Master". More broadly, the term "master" can refer to any highly skilled chess player.
The International Braille Chess Association (IBCA) is an organization for blind and visually impaired chess players. The IBCA is a FIDE-affiliated chess organization as well as a part of the International Blind Sports Federation. The International Braille Chess Association originated informally in 1951 with the organization of the first international correspondence chess tournament for blind players; the tournament included 20 players representing 10 countries. It first organized an over-the-board tournament in 1958, with representatives from seven countries. Today, it has grown to encompass over 50 member nations around the world. The IBCA hosts two major competitions: the Blind Chess Olympiad and the Blind World Chess Championship.
Chess Scotland is the governing body for chess in Scotland. It was formed in 2001 with the merger of the Scottish Chess Association (SCA) and the Scottish Junior Chess Association (SJCA).
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) is the central administrative body for the game of chess in India. Founded in 1951, the federation is affiliated to Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), the world body for chess. The AICF has produced Viswanathan Anand, Nihal Sarin, Pentala Harikrishna, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi and many other grandmasters. The organisation is also in charge of managing women's chess in India. AICF's current headquarter is in New Delhi.
The Turkish Chess Federation is the governing chess organization within Turkey. The TSF was founded in 1954, and became a member of the FIDE in 1962. The federation was integrated into the General Directorate of Youth and Sports in 1991, gaining its official nationwide recognition. As of 2012, the president of the federation is Gülkız Tulay. Having over 800,000 licensed players, TSF is the largest sports Federation in Turkey.
The Azerbaijan Chess Federation is the governing chess organization in Azerbaijan and is affiliated to the World Chess Federation FIDE. The Azerbaijan Chess Federation was founded in 1920 when Azerbaijan became a member of the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan SSR the same year, and was reorganized in 1992, after Azerbaijan attained its independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and became a member of FIDE the same year. Its headquarters are in Baku.
Vesna Rožič was a Slovenian chess player. She received the FIDE title of Woman International Master (WIM) in April 2006. Rožič was ranked the second best Slovenian female chess player, after Anna Muzychuk. She won the Slovenian women's championship in 2007 and 2010. In 2007, Rožič also became the Mediterranean women's champion in Antalya. In team events, she represented Slovenia in four Women's Chess Olympiads, four Women's European Team Chess Championships, six Women's Mitropa Cups and four European Girls U18 Team Championships. In the Women's Mitropa Cup, Rožič won two team golds, four team silvers and two individual gold medals.
Elena Sedina is a Ukrainian-Italian chess player who holds the FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She has won the Ukrainian Women's Chess Championship, the Australian Open Chess Championship, and is a Chess Olympiad and Mitropa Cup gold medalist.
Eva Repková is a Slovak chess player holding the FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She was Czechoslovak Women's Champion in 1991 and Slovak Women's Champion in 2003, 2010 and 2013.
Essam El-Gindy is an Egyptian chess Grandmaster and FIDE Trainer.
The Uganda Chess Federation (UCF) is the governing body of chess competition in Uganda and a member of FIDE, the international chess federation. It administers the official national chess rating system which awards both numeric ratings and titles of distinction. The UCF was founded in 1972, became affiliated with the National Council of Sports in 1973, and in 1978 was affiliated with FIDE, the first Federation in East Africa to achieve this.
Spyrios Kapnisis (Greece)
Silvia Collas (France)
Mert Erdoğdu (Turkey)
Vesna Rožič (Slovenia)
Darko Dorić (Croatia)
Ljilja Drljevic (Montenegro)
Ahmed Adly (Egypt)
Jwan Bakr (Syria)
