History of FIDE
Each kind of sport has its own organization with managing rights. In chess, FIDE executes this role. It’s an abbreviation for “Federation Internationale des Echecs” in French. The headquarters of this institution is located in Lausanne. In fact, Switzerland can be called the queen of sports. This country of constant neutrality also accommodates the headquarters of FIFA and UEFA. The history of FIDE, International Chess Federation, started on the 20th of July, 1924. It began in Paris.
At that time, they conducted the first chess Olympiad there. Later on, starting from 1966, the 20th of July became World Chess day. Traditionally, on this day, chess communities across the globe hold tournaments. They’re all dedicated to this important event.
FIDE’s signature slogan sounds like “Gens Una Sumus”. This phrase translates from Latin as “We are family”. And it’s hard to negate. We’re all different in terms of religion, race, gender, and complexity. But there’s one thing that unites us and makes us similar – the love of chess! Nearly 200 countries are members of FIDE!
The History of FIDE from the very beginning
The Chess Federation has been determining the game direction since 1948. That year, it held the premiere World Championship. It was a unique tournament after the death of the undefeated champion Alekhine. Previously players used to choose the format, the opponents, and the location on their own. The Federation didn’t have much influence before that.
1999 became an important year in the world of chess. The International Olympic Committee acknowledged FIDE as the organization with managing functions. It was admitted for the kind of sports that wasn’t included in the Olympic program.
FIDE has been organizing the qualifying cycle and the world championships for over 50 years. In the process, the system went through numerous transformations. The leading grandmasters were speaking out their wishes. But after the uniting match in Elista between Topalov and Kramnik (2006), the situation stabilized. In 2013, the Candidates Tournament replaced the 2011 Kazan matches. However, it’s not as radical as having Kasparov’s PCA as the opposition to FIDE.
Obligations of FIDE
What does the institute do? The International Chess Federation sets the rules and conducts chess Olympiads. Although this game isn’t considered an Olympic sport, it also has its own Olympiads. Besides, the organization grants international titles, such as Grandmaster or International Master.
Most often, players’ power is defined by their rating. This is also an invention of FIDE. The high rating allows them to take part in serious tournaments. For example, after reaching the 2300 rating, you become a FIDE master.
Presidents of the Chess Federation
The History of FIDE comprises only 7 presidents. Max Euwe wasn’t just the 5th World Champion in chess, but also the FIDE president. It happened in 1970 and lasted until 1978.
A well-known grandmaster named Fridrik Olafsson went even further. He became the only world chess leader who was also a chess practitioner. Starting from 1952, he regularly represented the National Iceland team at the Olympiads.
The last two presidents are from the Russian Federation. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov got the chair of the main person in chess in 1995. And it ended in 2018. Then, Arkady Dvorkovich became the president in 2018 and was recently re-elected.
The current president won once again with 157 votes out of 179. Meanwhile, the great Viswanathan Anand was chosen as the vice president!
Let’s wish them success in chess popularization in the world and the History of FIDE!