The International Chess Federation (FIDE)

The International Chess Federation (FIDE)

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions. Constituted as a non-governmental institution, it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999. FIDE currently has its headquarters in Lausanne, but it was initially founded in 1924 in Paris under the motto “Gens una sumus” (Latin for “We are one Family”). It was one of the very first International Sports Federations, alongside the governing bodies of Football, Cricket, Swimming, and Auto Racing. It is now one of the largest, encompassing 201 countries as affiliate members in the form of National Chess Federations. Chess is nowadays a truly global sport, with dozens of millions of players on all continents and more than 60 million games played on average every day