Budapest has been chosen for the first time by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to host the 2024 Chess Olympiad. The selection of the host country took place this Sunday and was approved by the General Assembly of FIDE.
The FIDE was founded in 1924 in France. It is the governing body of the sport of chess and regulates all international chess competitions. The federation has 195 members and is most known for organizing the World Chess Championship since 1948.
Its other well-known event is the Chess Olympiad, which is a biennial chess tournament that has been running since 1924. Hungary’s very own, strongest chess player of all time Judit Polgár participated in 10 Chess Olympiads as a player. She won 5 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medals.
The bid for Budapest to be the host of the 2024 Chess Olympiad received unanimous support from the General Assembly with 110 votes and 1 abstention. The event is set to take place from September 10-23 and will bring around 3,500 participants to Budapest. The competition and medal awarding will take place at the Hungexpo.
The Chess Olympiad will include special chess boards for the visually impaired, possible transfers between the venues and hotels with bicycles and electric vehicles to promote care for the environment, and balanced numbers between male and female teams in attendance.
The government has given full support for the event with a budget which at present totals EUR 16,647,000.
Photo credit: vezess.hu