Editing Chess (section)

==Organized competition==

===Tournaments and matches===
[[File:TataSteelChess2019-11.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tata Steel Chess Tournament]] 2019, Wijk aan Zee (the Netherlands)]]
Contemporary chess is an organized sport with structured international and national leagues, tournaments, and [[congress]]es. Thousands of chess tournaments, matches, and festivals are held around the world every year catering to players of all levels.

Tournaments with a small number of players may use the [[Round-robin tournament|round-robin]] format, in which every player plays one game against every other player. For a large number of players, the [[Swiss system tournament|Swiss system]] may be used, in which each player is paired against an opponent who has the same (or as similar as possible) score in each round. In either case, a player's score is usually calculated as 1 point for each game won and one-half point for each game drawn. Variations such as "football scoring" (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw) may be used by tournament organizers, but ratings are always calculated on the basis of standard scoring. A player's score [[Chess scoring|may be reported]] as total score out of games played (e.g. 5½/8), points for versus points against (e.g. 5½–2½), or by number of wins, losses and draws (e.g. +4−1=3).

The term "match" refers not to an individual game, but to either a series of games between two players, or a team competition in which each player of one team plays one game against a player of the other team.

===Governance===
Chess's international governing body is usually known by its French acronym [[FIDE]] (pronounced FEE-day) ([[French language|French]]: Fédération Internationale des Échecs), or International Chess Federation. FIDE's membership consists of the national chess organizations of over 180 countries; there are also several associate members, including various supra-national organizations, the [[International Braille Chess Association]] (IBCA), [[International Chess Committee of the Deaf]] (ICCD), and the [[International Physically Disabled Chess Association]] (IPCA).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/directory/affiliated-organizations |title=FIDE - Affiliated organizations |access-date=26 February 2021 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224160953/https://www.fide.com/directory/affiliated-organizations |url-status=live }}</ref> FIDE is recognized as a [[sports governing body]] by the [[International Olympic Committee]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arisf.sport/members.aspx |title=Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=14 January 2021 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122114531/https://www.arisf.sport/members.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> but chess has never been part of the [[Olympic Games]].

[[File:Kasparov-29.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Garry Kasparov]], former World Chess Champion]]
FIDE's most visible activity is organizing the [[World Chess Championship]], a role it assumed in 1948. The current World Champion is [[Gukesh Dommaraju]] of India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gukesh defeats Ding, takes 6-5 lead in world chess championship |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2024/12/8/gukesh-defeats-ding-takes-6-5-lead-in-world-chess-championship |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref name="WCC2023">{{Cite web |title=Ding Liren defeats Ian Nepomniachtchi to win World Chess Championship – live |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/tennis/ding-liren-defeats-ian-nepomniachtchi-to-win-world-chess-championship-live/ar-AA1ay88z |access-date=2023-04-30 |website=MSN |language=en-GB |archive-date=30 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430135051/https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/tennis/ding-liren-defeats-ian-nepomniachtchi-to-win-world-chess-championship-live/ar-AA1ay88z |url-status=live }}</ref> The reigning [[Women's World Chess Championship|Women's World Champion]] is [[Ju Wenjun]] from China.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/womens-world-championship-2020-ju-goryachkina-game-12 |title=Women's World Championship 2020 - Ju wins tiebreak |website=chessbase.com |date=24 January 2020 |access-date=26 February 2020 |archive-date=24 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124185454/https://en.chessbase.com/post/womens-world-championship-2020-ju-goryachkina-game-12 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other competitions for individuals include the [[World Junior Chess Championship]], the [[European Individual Chess Championship]], the [[Candidates Tournament|tournaments for the World Championship qualification cycle]], and the various [[List of national chess championships|national championships]]. Invitation-only tournaments regularly attract the world's strongest players. Examples include Spain's [[Linares chess tournament|Linares]] event, Monte Carlo's [[Melody Amber]] tournament, the [[Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting|Dortmund Sparkassen]] meeting, Sofia's [[M-tel Masters]], and [[Wijk aan Zee]]'s [[Tata Steel Chess Tournament|Tata Steel]] tournament.

Regular team chess events include the [[Chess Olympiad]] and the [[European Team Chess Championship]].

The [[World Chess Solving Championship]] and [[World Correspondence Chess Championship]] include both team and individual events. These are held independently of FIDE by, respectively, the [[World Federation for Chess Composition]] (WFCC), and the [[International Correspondence Chess Federation]] (ICCF).

===Titles and rankings===
{{Main|Chess titles}}
In order to rank players, FIDE, [[International Correspondence Chess Federation|ICCF]], and most national chess organizations use the [[Elo rating system]] developed by [[Arpad Elo]]. An average club player has a rating of about 1500; the highest FIDE rating of all time, 2882, was achieved by [[Magnus Carlsen]] on the March 2014 FIDE rating list.<ref>{{cite news |title=Carlsen with record-breaking lead |url=http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8744 |publisher=ChessBase News |date=1 January 2013 |access-date=16 January 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122115753/http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8744 |archive-date=22 January 2013}}</ref>

Players may be awarded lifetime titles by FIDE:{{refn|Section "01. International Title Regulations (Qualification Commission)" in FIDE Handbook<ref name="FideHandbook">{{cite web|title=FIDE Handbook|url=https://handbook.fide.com/|access-date=5 July 2020|website=FIDE|archive-date=8 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108150228/https://handbook.fide.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
* [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] (GM) is the highest title a chess player can attain. For the GM title, a player must have had an Elo rating of 2500 or more at least once and must achieve three results of a prescribed standard (called norms) in tournaments involving other grandmasters, including some from countries other than the applicant's. There are other milestones that can substitute for norms, such as winning the World Junior Championship.
* [[International Master]] (IM). The conditions are similar to GM, but less demanding. The minimum rating for the IM title is 2400.
* [[FIDE Master]] (FM). The usual way for a player to qualify for the FIDE Master title is by achieving a FIDE rating of 2300 or more.
* [[Candidate Master]] (CM). Similar to FM, but with a FIDE rating of at least 2200.

The above titles are known as "open" titles, obtainable by both men and women. There are also separate women-only titles; Woman Grandmaster (WGM), Woman International Master (WIM), Woman FIDE Master (WFM) and Woman Candidate Master (WCM). These require a performance level approximately 200 rating points below their respective open titles, and their continued existence has sometimes been controversial.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} Beginning with [[Nona Gaprindashvili]] in 1978, a number of women have earned the open GM title: 40 {{as of|lc=yes|July 2023}}.<ref group=note name="FIDE_top_players">Current FIDE lists of top players with their titles are online at {{Cite web|title=FIDE Ratings and Statistics|url=https://ratings.fide.com/|access-date=2022-12-29|website=ratings.fide.com|archive-date=10 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710101639/http://ratings.fide.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

FIDE also awards titles for arbiters and trainers.{{refn|Section "06. Regulations for the Titles of Arbiters" in FIDE Handbook<ref name="FideHandbook" />}}{{refn|Section "07. Regulations for the Titles of Trainers" in FIDE Handbook<ref name="FideHandbook" />}} International titles are also awarded to composers and solvers of chess problems and to correspondence chess players (by the [[International Correspondence Chess Federation]]). National chess organizations may also award titles.