91st FIDE Congress
Since its foundation 96 years ago, FIDE has celebrated 91 Congresses. This annual meeting, where the most important matters are discussed and voted on, has been held almost without interruption for nearly a century. Only five editions had to be canceled, due to force majeure.
Just a few years ago, a global pandemic would have surely meant the cancelation of the FIDE congress. But in 2020, with broadband internet connection available almost everywhere in the world, we have managed to hold this event entirely online. The meetings were held via Zoom, and those of general interest were also broadcast via Youtube.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation, will, and patience, of all our member federations, delegates, and commission members. Most of us have already mastered the use of Zoom and other video-conference solutions during 2020, but for many others without technological savvy, the experience posed a little challenge. An additional difficulty was that, with our members being spread across the whole planet in different time zones, we all had to make a little effort, and while some of our members had to get up really early in the morning, for many others the meetings concluded well past midnight.
We want to thank all participants for their patience, and in particular, to all those who had to make an extra effort to adapt to this new format. We would also like to thank our IT department, headed by Vladimir Kukaev and Gennady Rakhvalov, who provided explicit tutorials and provided assistance to the delegates during the whole process.
We will recap here some of the most important decisions and topics discussed during this week at the General Assembly, the Zonal Council, and the Commissions' meetings. Inevitably, some reports and materials won’t fit here, and more materials will be published in the upcoming days on the FIDE website. Meantime, you can go through this publication which includes the agenda of the General Assembly with links to all the annexes and relevant documents. Or, if you don't want to miss a thing, you can even watch the whole meeting on Youtube!
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Moscow 2022, Budapest 2024
One of the main concerns of our member federations and the chess community in general, was the uncertainty related to the two next Olympiads: Moscow 2021, and Minsk 2022. Besides, hosting the chess Olympiad comes with the associated responsibility of organizing the World Cup as well, which under the current situation is an additional complication.
The FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich explained the situation and the decision made as follows:
“Given that the Republic of Belarus and its government have decided that they cannot hold the Olympiad, we have tried to find a solution, another host for the 2022 Olympiad and the World Cups.But we couldn't find an alternative. If you add to the picture the pandemic, we have been left with no other choice than to have just one Olympiad during this period. We have received a kind proposal from the Russian government to host the two World Cups simultaneously next year, 2021, and to have the Olympiad in Russia 2022.”
The FIDE president clarified that, as long as the circumstances allow it, Khanty-Mansiysk will still host the FIDE Olympiad for players with Disabilities and the FIDE Congress in Khanty during the summer next year.
The news was hardly a surprise, given the difficult circumstances. No one was happy to hear that we all will have to wait until 2022 to enjoy a chess Olympiad, but the slight disappointment quickly dissipated when the representatives of the Hungarian Chess Federation presented their project for Budapest 2024.
The tournament is scheduled to run from September 10 to 23 at the renovated Hungexpo Exhibition and Conference Centre, with a total budget of 16,6 million euros. Political authorities, chess legends, and prominent members of the Hungarian Olympic movement and the sports administration have expressed their unconditional support to the event.
You can download a complete presentation for Budapest 2024 here:
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FIDE in good financial shape
An important report at every General Assembly is the one by the FIDE Treasurer, which is normally offered right after the President’s opening speech. Zhu Chen shared the news that FIDE has now opened a Swiss bank account, which means that the organization is now ready to accept credit card payments, something crucial in order to organize activities like seminars, et cetera.
The Treasurer informed that Ernst & Young concluded their audit for the year 2019 in which they examined every transaction, and "they were fully satisfied with FIDE’s internal control procedures". The delegates voted in favor of appointing Ernst & Young again for the 2020 audit.
Chen informed the delegates that FIDE's cash balance is currently just below 3 million euros, and she expects it to be a bit over 4 million euros by the end of the year thanks to some advance payments that are expected in the next weeks related to next year's World Championship match and the FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss. "We are in a very small group of International Federations that have managed to deal with the crisis on our own, without applying for support from IOC or public funds. We must be proud of this achievement", she added.
The Treasurer also spent some time analyzing how the pandemic has impacted FIDE's budget, compared to what was originally approved in February. The budget took a serious blow, but FIDE's good situation allowed for even further reductions in several fees: in particular, the ones applied to titles and transfers. These new reductions are added to the ones already established in previous budgets, following the strategic plan announced by Arkady Dvorkovich during his electoral campaign.
As for the budget for 2021, FIDE has prepared a very conservative estimate, but the budget will probably be reviewed, and it will depend greatly on the income generated by the World Championship match. FIDE’s Director-General Emil Sutovsky briefed the attendants about the most recent developments on the match and the candidates, and he said that he expects the match to generate a profit for FIDE of at least 1,5 million euros.
The report of the FIDE Treasurer, the budget for 2021, the new Financial Regulations, the appointment of Ernst & Young, and the report of the Verification Commission were all approved without objections.
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Trainers Commission, by the numbers
Leading up to the Trainers Commission Meeting held as part of the Online FIDE Congress, its secretary Peter Long shared a presentation that reported on the work done by this commission.
In 2019, TRG organized a total of 38 seminars, which totaled 902 participants – using 42 different lecturers. Besides offering rotation which is a practice that the new FIDE management has established, this also tapped on the expertise of a large number of trainers.
Of these seminars, 13 took place in Asia, 11 in Europe, 8 in Africa, and 1 in the Americas, while 5 of them were held online. This experience proved to be very useful for what was to come!
In 2020 there was a shift to having seminars by region and language, so while TRG organized just 23, many were in cooperation with the continental chess bodies and even held together with other commissions, and so have become more available to many usually unable to attend when organized by country.
Of these, 16 are already completed, and 7 will be held during the next few days. In total, there have been 605 participants and 37 different lecturers to date, 11 in English, 3 in Russian, 3 in Arabic, 2 in Spanish, 1 in German, and 1 in Portuguese.
2021 will see a complete shift to a teaching curriculum where the subjects have moved beyond just teaching to play chess, to include areas such as psychological and training issues and the use of technology, and critically needed by trainers today, and lecturers will be focused on sharing their own methods and the best practices. In total, 1,573 titles were awarded during this two-year period (note that very often the titles are awarded sometime after the seminar has concluded). Regarding academies, there are currently 42 FIDE Endorsed Academies, of which 14 are in Asia, 13 in Europe, 9 in Africa, and 6 in the Americas. At the end of 2019, there were 30 so 2020 added 12 more.
Here is a list:
| 1 |
Asean Chess Academy |
Singapore |
Club |
| 2 |
German Chess Academy |
Germany |
National |
| 3 |
American Chess University |
USA |
Scholastics |
| 4 |
Russian Chess Academy |
Russia |
National |
| 5 |
Grivas Chess International Academy |
Greece |
Elite |
| 6 |
Asian Chess Federation Academy |
UAE |
Regional |
| 7 |
Chess Academy of Ptolemais ‘Skakistakos’ |
Greece |
Scholastics |
| 8 |
Marshall Chess Academy |
USA |
Club |
| 9 |
Susan Polgar Institute of Chess Excellence |
USA |
Elite |
| 10 |
Bahrain Chess Academy |
Bahrein |
Scholastics |
| 11 |
Belarus FIDE Chess Academy |
Belarus |
National |
| 12 |
Mongolian International Chess Academy |
Mongolia |
Scholastics |
| 13 |
Kwazulu Natal Chess Academy |
South Africa |
Scholastics |
| 14 |
Stefanova Chess International Academy |
Bulgaria |
Elite |
| 15 |
Tbilisi International Chess Academy |
Georgia |
National |
| 16 |
Academia Brazileira de Xadrez |
Brazil |
Regional |
| 17 |
Culture Echecs |
France |
Scholastics |
| 18 |
Sabah Chess Academy |
Malaysia |
Scholastics |
| 19 |
Dubai Chess Academy |
UAE |
Club |
| 20 |
Schachzwerge Magdeburg e.V. |
Germany |
Club |
| 21 |
Academia Internacional "Martha Fierro" |
Ecuador |
Scholastics |
| 22 |
Asia Chess Academy |
Jordan |
Regional |
| 23 |
Young Chess Masters |
Zimbabwe |
Scholastics |
| 24 |
Mastermind FIDE Chess Academy of Pakistan |
Pakistan |
Scholastics |
| 25 |
Wadi Degla Adly Chess Academy |
Egypt |
Scholastics |
| 26 |
Project Chess Zambia |
Zambia |
Scholastics |
| 27 |
Myanmar Chess Academy |
Myanmar |
National |
| 28 |
Let's Learn Together |
Cyprus |
Scholastics |
| 29 |
iChess Academy |
South Korea |
Scholastics |
| 30 |
Bouhjar Chess Academy |
Tunisia |
Club |
| 31 |
World of Chess - Kazakhstan - Anton Flilipov |
Kazakhstan |
Scholastics |
| 32 |
Jussupow Schachschule |
Germany |
Scholastics |
| 33 |
Chess Queen Academy |
Georgia |
Scholastics |
| 34 |
Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence |
Philippines |
Regional |
| 35 |
FIDE International Academy Bulchess |
Bulgaria |
National |
| 36 |
OMSE Chess Academy |
Algeria |
Scholastics |
| 37 |
Vugar Gashimov Chess Academy |
Azerbaijan |
Scholastics |
| 38 |
Mechanics Institute |
USA |
Regional |
| 39 |
Elite Brain Academy |
Mongolia |
Club |
| 40 |
GoforChess Academy |
South Africa |
Scholastics |
| 41 |
Francistown School of Chess |
Botswana |
Scholastics |
More information: https://trg.fide.com
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Boris Spassky in 1972, before his match Fischer. PHOTO: Yu Somov / Novosti Press
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FIDE honorary titles
During the General Assembly, the tenth World Chess Champion Boris Vasilievich Spassky was awarded the title of “FIDE Honorary Member”. Born in Leningrad, the great Spassky very early caught the attention of Mikhail Botvinnik when he managed to defeat him in a simul exhibition at just 10 years old. He played a total of three world championship matches: he lost to Tigran Petrosian in 1966, defeating him in a second attempt in1969 to become World Champion. Then he famously lost the crown to Bobby Fischer, in the match in Reykjavík that became a global sensation. Spassky is the oldest living former world champion, and also one of the most charismatic ones because of his sportsmanship and geniality.
The founder and driving force behind the Gibraltar Chess Festival, Brian Callaghan, was also awarded an honorary title, "FIDE Life Member", as a recognition for his important and continued contribution to chess. Thousands of players took part in Gibraltar events he organizes since 2003, with a special emphasis on promoting women chess players. Even though the Gibraltar Chess Open 2021 had to be canceled, Brian managed to keep the tradition alive by hosting the fourth and final leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, from January 17-29.
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FIDE Life Member Brian Callaghan. PHOTO: David Llada
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Isle of Man joins FIDE
The General Assembly approved the admission of the Isle of Man Chess Association as an affiliated organization. This is in recognition of the Isle’s continued contribution to chess, including what promises to be one of the world’s major chess events next year, the FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss. The vote saw 107 votes in favor and just 4 against, with a further 4 abstentions.
The status of “Affiliated Organization” is slightly below that of full “Member Organization”, which according to Article 9.4 of the FIDE Charter, would demand a territory to be recognized by the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.
Howard Dobson, the Chairman of the Isle of Man Chess Association, said: “In 2019, our chess friends and colleagues at IOM International Chess Limited successfully organized the FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss Tournament as part of the FIDE World Championship Cycle. Furthermore, they recently won the bid to host the 2021 Grand Swiss and the Women’s Grand Swiss. In light of this, plus Isle of Man’s history of hosting high class international Swiss events extending back to the early 1990s, we believe that it is important that FIDE should acknowledge Isle of Man’s status in the chess world”.
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The Russian Superfinals are being played at the legendary Central Chess Club at Gogolevsky Boulevard. PHOTO: Eteri Kublashvili
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Brief news from National Federations
RUSSIA
The Russian Championship Superfinals began this weekend in Moscow, and is one of the strongest editions in recent times. With no other top-tournaments in sight, all the top players gathered in Moscow for this 12-player round-robin event, including Nepomniachtchi, Karjakin, Svidler and Artemeev.
Sergey Karjakin seemed to be particularly happy to be back at the chess board, since he hadn’t played a classical game since December 2019. His return couldn’t have been more sucessful, and after 4 rounds he shares the leadership with Nepomniachtchi, both with two victories and two draws. 19-year-old Polina Shuvalova is bulldozing in the women’s section, with a perfect score after four rounds.
The total prize fund is 10 million rubles (around 112,000€).
More information: www.ruchess.ru
SERBIA
The Serbian Chess Championship 2020 kicked off yesterday, as a round-robin tournament with 10 players. GM Ivan Ivanisevic (2608) and GM Aleksandar Indjic (2604) are the top seeds. In the women’s section, played under the same format, WGM Jovana Rapport (2308) and Teodora Injac (2290) are the two highest-rated participants.
More information: www.serbiachess.net
UKRAINE
More “over the board” chess: the Ukrainian Women's Championship is a 9-round Swiss tournament taking place from 6-14 December 2020 in Kherson. In the absence of both Muzychuk sisters and Anna Ushenina, the main favorites are Iulija Osmak (2438) and Nataliya Buksa (2413).
More information: www.ukrchess.org.ua
LITHUANIA
Karolis Jukšta and Kamilė Baginskaitė claimed the 2020 Lithuanian Championship titles. In the open section, 10 players competed for the title in a round-robin tournament, which was won by Jukšta with a whole point margin. It is worth mentioning that 17-year old Jukšta became the second-youngest winner of the Lithuanian championship. The record still belongs to GM Viktorija Čmilyte-Nielsen, who triumphed in the Lithuanian Chess Championship for the first time in 2000, when she was 16 years, 7 months, and 28 days old. In the women's section, a five-round Swiss tournament brought together 12 female players. Kamilė Baginskaitė, who returned to Lithuania after living in the US, won her second women’s title after a 28 year break.
More information: www.chessfed.lt
TOGO
Yakini Tchouka is the new Togo Chess Champion, after scoring 5½ points in a six-round Swiss tournament with 22 players. He only conceded a draw in the last round, which was enough to secure the victory. The highest-rated participant and four-time national champion of Togo Adama Mawulikplimi lost a critical game against the winner in Round 5 and failed to defend his title, but ended up in a respectable joint second place with 4.5 points.
More information: www.ftde.org
MOZAMBIQUE
Milton Botao has been elected the new President of the Mozambique Chess Federation, after several years as Vice-President. At 37 years old, Milton is now the youngest president of a national chess federation in the African continent. Parabèns, Milton!
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Milton Botao, new President of Mozambique Chess Federation. PHOTO: Mekalab
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"The power of chess in education"
Judit Polgar will be a keynote speaker at the third European Education Summit, which this year is organized around the topic of "Digital Education Transformation". Judit's keynote talk is titled "The power of chess in education".
"Maybe I’ve never presented it to so many people, including so many decision-makers", she wrote on her official Facebook page. "I can talk from my heart, about the relationship between chess and education at the 3rd European Education Summit. I am glad to get this opportunity to share what chess offers in educating future generations."
The legendary Hungarian prodigy was interviewed this week by Euronews, where she talked about the impact that The Queen's Gambit could have in the participation of women in chess competitions. "I think it would be a much bigger breakthrough to have three ladies in the top ten, than to have a world champion who is a lady", she said.
Judit's lecture will take place this Thursday (10th December), at 11.05 CET. You can watch the web streaming without prior registration.
More information: www.ec.europa.eu
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Anniversaries
Hikaru Nakamura turns 33 today. The five-time United States champion is going through one of the sweetest moments of his career. He has achieved some very remarkable results at the chess board, proving himself as the most dangerous rival to Magnus Carlsen in rapid time controls. But above anything else, 2020 is a year in which he became an absolute Twitch star, a platform in which he has been a leader in helping to establish chess, coaching well-known pros, and helping organize tournaments. His strong social media presence, with 654,000 subscribers on Twitch and 214,000 Twitter followers, and made him the first pro chess player to sign for an E-sports giant firm, TSM.
Hikaru was born on December 9, the same day as the legendary chess coach Mark Dvoretsky, just with 40 years difference: 1947 and 1987 respectively.
December 10 is the anniversary of the great romantic player Joseph Henry Blackburne. Born in Manchester, he used to play draughts as a child, and he switched to playing chess when has already 17, inspired by the stories he heard about Morphy’s chess exhibitions in Europe. His first international success happened in Vienna 1873, where he shared first with Steinitz. It was in this tournament where he earned his immortal nickname: “der Schwarze Tod”, German for “the Black Death”.
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Vishy Anand turns 51. PHOTO: David Llada
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Another chess legend was born on December 11: Viswanathan Anand. The first-ever Indian Grandmaster is probably one of the top-5 players of all time. In the words of our Director-General Emil Sutovsky, “Anand’s contribution to chess development is immense. He pioneered quality work with computers and became one of the first players to demonstrate defensive resources in chess, holding seemingly dangerous positions against the best of the best. Anand honed his opening repertoire and won numerous opening duels facing the strongest players on our planet. He proved himself facing the generations, Kortchnoi – Portisch, Karpov – Timman, Kasparov – Short, his own, Kramnik – Topalov, Aronian – Grischuk, and is still competing on equal footing with the best young grandmasters.”
The great Jan Timman was born on December 14, on the same date as our very own Victor Bologan, FIDE’s Executive Director, who will turn 49 next Monday. La mulțiani, Viorel!
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FIDE's Executive Director, Victor Bologan. PHOTO: David Llada
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