The International Chess Federation (FIDE), the governing body of the game, made the announcement on Friday that it would be teaming with the Avalanche blockchain to bring chess tournaments into Web3.
Together, Ava Labs and FIDE will leverage blockchain technology to advance chess in a number of ways, including increased operational efficiency for players and federations, enhanced game integrity, the incorporation of new player generations, and the acceleration of creativity.
CEO of FIDE, Emil Sutovsky, said:
“We are excited to get into this project. Ava Labs is one of the leaders or rather driving forces behind on-chain technologies, while FIDE is constantly working on improving players’ engagement and experience. Chess is a unique sport, and this cooperation will allow us to unify our community and strengthen the ties between players, clubs, federations and FIDE.”
Emin Gün Sirer, CEO of Ava Labs, said that the game’s infinite potential was mirrored by the introduction of chess on the blockchain. He continued by saying that Avalanche would provide a chess experience unlike any other for players all across the globe.
FIDE’s World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2022 (December 25-30, 2022) in Almaty, Kazakhstan will mark the beginning of the partnership.
A few of the advantages of playing chess on web3—as stated by Avalanche—are that official player ratings can be computed and published on-chain, that tournament data can be published on-chain, that a more personalized experience can be provided on-chain, that a FIDE game explorer can be released, powered by on-chain game data, and that tournament prize pools can be issued on the Avalanche blockchain.
The incorporation of Web3 by FIDE is consistent with the chess community’s progressive use of digital platforms. The organization estimates that approximately 25 million online chess matches are played every day, involving over 100 million players.
