FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich held meetings with leaders of the IOC and UEFA in Switzerland, and participated in the ARISF General Assembly and the IF Forum.
At the end of October FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich had a series of meetings and engagements in Switzerland, successfully advancing the integration of chess into the wider sports community.
Starting from 27 October, Dvorkovich represented FIDE at the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) General Assembly which took place at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, reaffirming the central role of recognised federations within the Olympic Movement. FIDE is one of 39 International Federations recognised by the IOC and listed among the members of (ARISF).
Together with Grandmaster Mohammed Al-Mudahka, the President of the Qatar Chess Association, Dvorkovich took part in the IF Forum, which focused on new global realities facing sport and sports organisations. Organised by SportAccord – which brings together stakeholders representing over 120 International Federations governing Olympic and non-Olympic sport – the event is the world’s most influential gathering in global sport.
Dvorkovich also met with representatives from the IOC and other international sports bodies, where agreements were made to further integrate chess into global sports activities, including those of the International School Sport Federation (ISF).
At UEFA headquarters, Dvorkovich met with President Aleksander Ceferin. They discussed future cooperation and the potential for innovative sport events combining chess and football, leveraging the mass appeal of both sports to reach new audiences.
Strengthening ties with local authorities, Dvorkovich also met with leaders of Canton Vaud in Lausanne, where FIDE is headquartered.
“It was a very intense few days – we had a lot of productive meetings with representatives from the world of sports and discussed new projects which will make FIDE more involved with and more prominent in the wider world of sports,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said.
“Of course, during this time we also had our regular activities, such as the Council meeting, which was held online. We are continuing to work hard on opening new links and creating new opportunities for the world of chess, and I am hopeful we will have more great news to share in the near future,” Dvorkovich added.