15 Milestones in FIDE History
The 100-year path of the International Chess Federation is captured in these 15 landmark moments.
1924, June 20
The International Chess Federation (FIE, later FIDE) was established in Paris. Founding countries included Argentina, Belgium, Britain, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Finland, France, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia.
1927
FIDE organized the first official Chess Olympiad, with 16 countries participating. The title of Women's World Chess Champion was contested for the first time, with Vera Menchik emerging as the winner.
1948
FIDE began overseeing the World Chess Championship. Today, both the absolute and women's chess crowns belong to players from China: Ding Liren and Ju Wenjun.
1950
FIDE awarded its first Grandmaster title to 27 players. Today, FIDE titles also include International Master, Women's Grandmaster, Women's International Master, and lower-levels like FIDE Master or FIDE Candidates Master.
1957
The first Women’s Chess Olympiad was held in Emmen, Netherlands, and was won by the Soviet Union.
1966
Under FIDE's initiative, July 20 started being observed as International Chess Day. On December 12, 2019, the UN General Assembly officially proclaimed July 20 as World Chess Day.
1971
The first official FIDE rating list was published, with Fischer at the top with 2760 points. This universal system measures a player's skill level and tracks their progress over time, with new rating lists released at the beginning of every month.
1988
The first recognized FIDE World Championship in active (rapid) chess was held in Mazatlan, Mexico. Anatoly Karpov emerged as the winner.
1993
Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short refused to play a world championship match under the auspices of FIDE, leading to a split and the simultaneous existence of two world championship titles.
1999
FIDE was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the supreme body responsible for organizing chess and its championships at global and continental levels.
2006
The first FIDE-recognized World Championship in blitz chess took place in Rishon Lezion, Israel, with Alexander Grischuk claiming victory.
2006
The unification match for the world championship title between Vladimir Kramnik (who defeated Kasparov in 2000) and Veselin Topalov (the FIDE world champion) was held in Elista, Russia. Vladimir Kramnik won on tiebreak and became the undisputed world chess champion.
2019
FIDE officially recognized Chess 960 (or Fischer Random Chess). Wesley So became the first official Fischer Random Chess world champion.
2023
The first-ever Chess Olympiad for players with disabilities was held in Belgrade, Serbia, from January 29 to February 4. Teams from 26 countries participated, with Poland taking first place.
The reenactment of signing of the original FIDE Memorandum (2024-07-20) by FIDEInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)
2024
The International Chess Federation celebrates its centenary. The 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, broke participation records with 188 teams in the Open section and 169 teams in the Women's section.
