FIDE Events Commission

Regulations on Titles for Organizers of Chess Tournaments

The regulations on Titles for Organizers of chess tournaments (Organizers) are established by FIDE to identify clearly the role of Organizers in planning and operating the official chess events in compliance with FIDE rules and regulations as well as to create and support a framework of training and certifying the qualification of Organizers of official chess events of any particular level.

1.       Role of Organizers

Organizer plays a decisive role in planning and conducting official chess tournaments. The organizer:

• Presents high quality bidding documents to FIDE and other chess federations, ensures planning of official chess events in compliance with respective standards.
• Has appropriate social skills in order to communicate properly with players, arbiters, sponsors, media and all other parties involved in the event.
• Ensures achievement of target objectives within his/her competence, by using minimum human resources, avoids duplication of work and extra costs.
• Considers even smallest details to create healthy work environment.
• Forms a strong team which shall ensure successful chess tournament.
• Creates a comfortable environment for chess players to fully demonstrate their chess skills and for spectators to feel at ease comfortable in the playing hall.
• Provides for the best possible conditions for mass media representatives and facilitates chess promotion and popularization.
• Ensures attractive environment for sponsors while considering various requirements, invites celebrities to ceremonies, creates a non-conflict, friendly atmosphere during the competition, enforces appropriate dress code.
• Serves as the guarantee for successful chess tournament, thus, indirectly gaining trust and credibility and ensures an increase in the number of active chess players.
• Ensures proper sanitation and first aid in case of necessity for the participants and spectators of the competition.
• Maintains proper coordination and communication with FIDE bodies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and partners.

2.       Commission activities in relation to the titles for Organizers

FIDE Organizer titles are administered by FIDE Events Commission (EVE). Title fees and other financial conditions are set in the FIDE financial regulations.

The following activities shall be conducted by EVE in the context of administering FIDE Organizer tittles:

1. Conducting seminars, exams and workshops.
2. Developing an Organizers’ section of the Commission’s website.
3. Categorizing Organizers.
4. Preparing training materials.
5. Promoting successful Organizers, defining awards for the most successful Organizers.
6. Maintaining permanent monitoring of the activities carried out by Organizers

3.       Organizer Titles:

1. FIDE Associate Organizer (new)

2. FIDE International Organizer

3. FIDE Premier Organizer (new)

Any titled Organizer may apply and qualify for a special certificate providing a right to organize official FIDE online and FIDE-rated hybrid events of a corresponding level.

3.1     FIDE Associate Organizer

Associate Organizer title is assigned to a person with at least three-year experience of holding at least five rated (standard time control) competitions.

To apply for the Associate Organizer title, a respective National Federation should send the applicant’s resume with all required information to the EVE e-mail: fideevents@fide.com

In case the National Federation refuses to send the above-mentioned data for any reason, the applicant is entitled to send his or her application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to disclose the reason for National Federation’s rejection.

EVE shall provide access to online training resources and tests that shall be developed by EVE and shall ensure a satisfactory applicants’ knowledge of all related rules and regulations.

If an application is approved by EVE, it shall be submitted for the final decision of FIDE Council. Upon the decision of the FIDE Council an applicant obtains the title and the two-year license that shall be renewed after its expiration based on the requirements to be set by the FIDE Council.

After gaining the title of the Associate Organizer, the organizer is entitled:

1. To be a tournament director of any international competition that receives financial support from FIDE, excluding EVE and GSC tournaments.

2. To apply for FIDE International organizer title.

3.2     FIDE International Organizer

FIDE International Organizers are people with successful multi-year experience in organizing official international chess tournaments aiming at organizing FIDE official competitions under the supervision of EVE.

International Organizer titles obtained before these FIDE Regulations come into force shall be considered valid indefinitely. The respective licenses shall be renewed every 4 years based on the requirements to be set by FIDE Council.

To apply for the International Organizer title, a respective National Federation shall send the following data about an applicant to EVE via email fideevents@fide.com:

1. Applicant’s resume;
2. Document confirming successful participation in relevant FIDE seminar and exam;
3. References to the completed tournaments organized by an applicant.

In case the National Federation refuses to send the above-mentioned data for any reason, the applicant is entitled to send his or her application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to disclose the reason for National Federation’s rejection.

Only Associate Organizers may apply for the title of International Organizer. The applicants for FIDE International Organizer title should have completed at least three FIDE-rated tournaments (the same tournaments as for associate organizer title should not be presented) with participation of players representing at least three national federations, including at least one Swiss and one round robin tournament with standard time control. All of the mentioned competitions should be perceived as successful (defined by National Federations) and held in full compliance with FIDE standards - starting from accommodation, transfers, playing conditions to promotion of the event, including website and live games transmission. Organisers must follow FIDE Anti-Cheating Regulations.

EVE shall publish all relevant documents related to applications on its website within one month of receiving them. In the absence of any comments, EVE will proceed with the official process. 

To obtain the title of International Organizer, Associate Organizers should participate in an EVE seminar, successfully take and pass the exam administered by EVE. Seminars and exams for international organizers will be held either online or (especially the exams) on the sides of the official chess competitions. Applicants have to speak decent English which should be reflected in respective exams.

Representatives of GSC shall be actively involved in seminar/testing process and provide their conclusions.

Seminars shall cover at least the following topics:

1. Team management

2. Tournament financial management

3. Tournament standards and Code of ethics

The examinations process may be recorded.

Exceptional rule - In case FIDE events staff or FIDE officials were actively participating in organizing matters of at least 3 FIDE official tournaments within the last 5 years and are interested to gain FIDE IO title, they shall send EVE the documents, that prove their overwhelming activities. Based on the conclusions, EVE shall send all official documents directly to FIDE Council for approval.

The license fee shall be covered according to the FIDE financial rules.

After obtaining the title of the International Organizer, the organizer is entitled:

1. To be tournament directors of FIDE EVE and GSC tournaments.
2. To be lecturers of EVE and GSC (the initial list shall be nominated by EVE, taking into consideration the geographical needs of each Continent and qualification of lecturers).
3. To sign bids for official competitions supervised by EVE and GSC.
4. To be an inspector of any FIDE EVE and GSC till January 1, 2028.
5. To be a technical delegate of any FIDE EVE and GSC till January 1, 2028.

3.3     FIDE Premier Organizer

Potential FIDE Premier Organizers should obtain the titles of International Organizers at least 4 years prior to the application. Tournaments organized from 01.01.2010 shall be taken into account.  Applicants for FIDE Premier Organizer should be:

a.            The tournament director (the chief organizer) of FIDE World Chess Olympiad, at least one FIDE World Championship (including for cadets, youth and juniors, amateurs, seniors, individual or team, World Cup, Grand Prix) and the main organizer of at least one official continental championship of various category, or

b.            The tournament director (the chief organizer) of FIDE World Chess Olympiad, at least two FIDE World Championships (including for cadets, youth and juniors, amateurs, seniors, individual or team, world cup for cadets, / World Cup / Grand Prix / Grand Swiss, or

c.            The tournament director (the chief organizer) of at least five FIDE World Championships (including for cadets, youth and juniors, amateurs, seniors, individual or team, world cup for cadets, FIDE Online World Championships), / World Cup / Grand Prix / Grand Swiss, and the tournament director (the chief organizer) of at least three official continental championship of various category, or

d.            The tournament director (the chief organizer) of at least seven FIDE World Championships (including for cadets, youth and juniors, amateurs, seniors, individual or team, world cup for cadets, world cup for cadets, FIDE Online World Championships) / World Cup / Grand Prix / Grand Swiss.

All of the above-mentioned FIDE competitions should be successful (defined by EVE or GSC) and held in full compliance with FIDE highest standards - starting from playing conditions to promotion of the event, including website with high quality daily photos, live games transmission, live comments and parallel activities. Organisers must follow FIDE Anti-Cheating Regulations and FIDE Marketing regulations.

To apply for the title, a respective National Federation shall send the following data to EVE via email fideevents@fide.com:

a.  Applicant’s resume;

b.  List of the above tournaments.

FIDE President shall be entitled to assign the title of FIDE Premier Organizer directly to any person who played an exceptional role in activities associated with FIDE tournaments.

Premier Organizer is entitled:

1. To be tournament directors of FIDE EVE and GSC tournaments.
2. To be lecturer (the initial list shall be nominated by EVE, taking into consideration the geographical needs of each Continent and qualification of lecturers).
3. To sign bids for official competitions supervised by EVE and GSC.
4. To be an inspector of any FIDE Event.
5. To be a technical delegate of any FIDE Event.

4.       Certification of Organizers for managing the official Online and Hybrid Tournaments

Considering that implementation of online/hybrid tournaments requires specific knowledge, to obtain the title of online/hybrid tournaments organizer, FIDE Organizers should take and pass a special seminar of EVE organized in coordination with FIDE Technical Commission.

Besides, prior to official application, organizers must have conducted five successful (defined by EVE) online/hybrid tournaments with participation of at least 50 players from three federations with real names and FIDE ID. At least 30% of players should have FIDE rating.

To apply for the certificate, an applicant should send the following data to EVE via email fideevents@fide.com:

1. Applicant’s resume;
2. Document confirming successful participation in relevant FIDE seminar and examination;
3. Tables of completed tournaments.

Seminars and exams for certification of Online/Hybrid organizers will be held either online or on the sides of a FIDE event.

The lecture shall include the following topics:

1. Team management over online/hybrid competitions

2. Tournament financial management (specifics of online/hybrid competitions)

3. Tournament standards and Code of Ethics (specifics of online/hybrid competitions)

4. Online skills and technics

The examinations process may be recorded.

Certificates are provided by EVE for the period of 4 years.

Organizers of online/hybrid tournaments without the certificate of international online/hybrid tournament organizers issued by FIDE, will not be able to conduct FIDE online/hybrid tournaments from January 1, 2027.