On June 1, 2026, FIDE launched the FIDE Excellence Awards, a new biennial awards programme established to recognise outstanding achievements, individuals, events, federations, teams, creators, and initiatives across the global chess community.
The awards recognise excellence over the previous two-year cycle, beginning after each Chess Olympiad and culminating at the next Olympiad. The inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards ceremony will take place in September 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad.
Nominations are now open, and members of the global chess community are invited to submit candidates through the official FIDE Excellence Awards website.
Award categories
Awards will be presented across six regular categories and five discretionary categories, celebrating excellence both on and off the board.
Nomination and selection process
Nominations must relate to achievements and contributions made during the current Olympiad cycle. Multiple nominations may be submitted across different categories, provided each submission includes supporting information explaining the candidate’s achievements and impact.
The selection process includes three stages:
Stage one, running from June 1 to June 30, 2026, invites the chess community to submit nominations online. Following this, the FIDE Excellence Awards Working Group will review submissions and compile longlists.
During stage two, from July 1 to July 15, 2026, the FIDE Excellence Awards Jury will review the longlists and select the official shortlist in each category. The shortlists, consisting of ten nominees per category, will be published on July 15, 2026.
In the final stage, the FIDE Excellence Awards Panel will vote to determine the winners, who will be announced during the official ceremony in Samarkand in September 2026.
The FIDE Excellence Awards recognise world-class players, breakthrough creators, outstanding federations, and projects that use chess to create a positive impact in society. The awards celebrate excellence across the global chess community.
Submit your nominations here:
Nomination deadline: June 30, 2026
Official website: https://excellence.fide.com/