FIDE Chess Olympiad 2028 – Call for bids

International Chess Federation (FIDE) is opening a bidding procedure for organising the major team competition in the chess 2028 calendar, the Chess Olympiad. Held over 15 days (including arrivals and departures), this global team event gathers thousands of players and chess fans. A whopping 186 chess federations were represented by a team in the open and 162 in the women’s section during the last Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India.

Two other important events are to be held under the umbrella of this major chess gathering: Olympiad for People with Disabilities 2028 (where the organisers must be ready to host at least 80 teams) and FIDE Congress 2028. The bidder shall be responsible for hosting all three events and providing the proposal that would allow hosting the maximum number of teams. Currently, FIDE encompasses 199 federations and is expanding each year, as does the Olympiad with every new edition.

Regulations

The complete information about Chess Olympiad 2028 is in the Main Event Regulations.

Information about FIDE Congress is here

We will add the Regulations for the Competition for Players with Disabilities when they are ready later.

Who can bid

Any federation member of FIDE or any Organiser approved by a national federation may apply for the organisation of the FIDE Chess Olympiad and compulsory accompanying events. It is important to note that priority will be given to the bidders, who will also suggest hosting other FIDE events.

Expression of interest and bidding process

As per the decision of the FIDE Council, the first four weeks of the bidding process are allocated for the expression of interest. If no more than one potential bidder expresses their interest within four weeks, the overall bidding process shall last for eight weeks. If several parties express their interest within four weeks, the bidding process shall last 12 weeks.

There is no form for expressing interest, and there is no need to fill in the formal bidding form at this stage. Potential bidders can express their interest by sending a formal letter to the FIDE office at office@fide.com by 6pm CET on September 12th, 2023. The letter of interest is not binding.

The formal bidding application may be filled out after or instead of the expression of interest. Each application shall be filed per the form provided in Appendix 3 to the Regulations.

The Applicant shall attach the following:

• Letters of support from a national federation and relevant local authorities,
• Supporting documents (government letters, contracts, bank guarantees, etc.) at the total amount of the bid’s budget.
• Irrevocable guarantee issued by: a) any of the Top 100 World Banks rated on The Bankers database or another bank which may be agreed with FIDE or b) a verified government guarantee for the amount of three hundred thousand (300,000) Euros to support the bid.

Additional documents may be requested by FIDE for further evaluation.

The complete requirements from the organiser, including financial obligations, are determined by section 6 of the Regulations.

The nearest General Assembly shall award the right to host the events to the Applicant with the highest number of votes received.