The International Chess Federation was founded on 20 July 1924 in Paris. Fourteen countries were its founders, among them Argentina, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, France, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Today around one hundred and ninety national federations belong to FIDE - practically every country where chess is played in an organised way.
It is built on the same principle as any national body, such as the Russian Chess Federation: its members are national federations, not individual players. You cannot "join FIDE" as a person - you play in tournaments it rates, and that puts you in its database.
The federation has had the same motto since its founding - Gens una sumus, "We are one family". Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, alongside the IOC and dozens of other international sports organisations.
Four areas of work, and all four reach the ordinary player one way or another.
In 1999 the International Olympic Committee recognised chess as a sport and FIDE as its governing federation. Chess is still not part of the Olympic programme, though: IOC recognition and a place at the Games are two different things.
People often mix them up, but they work at different levels. A national federation runs chess in one country and is itself a member of FIDE. The two exist side by side, and a tournament player usually deals with both. Here is how it looks with the Russian Chess Federation (FSHR) as the example; most national federations follow a similar pattern.
| What | FIDE | FSHR (Russia) |
|---|---|---|
| Level | International | National |
| Personal number | FIDE ID | FSHR code |
| Rating | International rating | National rating |
| What it awards | Titles: GM, IM, FM, CM | Sports categories and the national master title |
| Where you need it | Internationally rated tournaments | Tournaments inside the country |
Hence a common misunderstanding: "my rating is 1800" can mean two different numbers, and they do not match. Russia's sports categories are a separate national system that has nothing to do with FIDE: Russian chess sports categories.
As long as you play with friends or at casual chess evenings, nothing at all. FIDE enters your life at one moment - when you sit down at a tournament rated for the international list.
What an organiser needs for a tournament to be rated at all - FIDE requirements for tournaments and how to submit a tournament for rating.
The list is short, but it clears up half the questions.
The International Chess Federation - the body that runs chess worldwide: it writes the rules of the game, maintains the international rating, awards titles such as grandmaster and organises the World Championship and the Olympiads. The name comes from the French Fédération Internationale des Échecs.
On 20 July 1924 in Paris. Fourteen countries were the founders, among them Argentina, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, France, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Today around one hundred and ninety national federations are members.
By level. FIDE is international; a national federation, such as the Russian Chess Federation (FSHR), works in one country and is itself a member of FIDE. They issue different personal numbers (a FIDE ID and a national code) and keep different ratings that do not match. Grandmaster and master titles come from FIDE; national grades and categories come from the national federation.
You do not apply for it separately. The number is created automatically when you first play in a tournament rated for the international list: the organiser registers the event through the national federation.
"We are one family" in Latin. The motto was adopted when the federation was founded in 1924 and has not changed since.
No. In 1999 the IOC recognised chess as a sport and FIDE as its governing federation, but chess is not on the programme of the Olympic Games. The Chess Olympiad is FIDE's own tournament and has nothing to do with the Games.
In Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC and dozens of other international sports federations are based there too.
The Vibe Chess app is built for an evening over the board, not for online play: it keeps the sign-up list, the pairings and the table while you deal with people and the venue. All of it free.
The bot is constantly improved based on real tournaments. If you need a feature that isn't there yet, message the developers right inside the bot with the /support command. Many features appeared exactly because organizers asked for them, and useful ideas get added quickly.
A national federation - the Russian Chess Federation rating. Titles and norms - FIDE titles. How the rating is calculated - the Elo rating. Tournament requirements - getting a tournament rated. The Russian national system - chess sports categories.
At the board since childhood: hazy about his rating, precise about every rook he has blundered. Counts an evening as a good one if the opponent stayed to talk afterwards instead of rushing off to check with an engine. Message →
