Geography of chess
Chess is played all over the world. The international governing body of chess is FIDE, established in 1924. Most national chess federations are now members of FIDE; several supranational chess organizations are also affiliated with FIDE.
National level: Current FIDE members
The table below lists the member federations of FIDE and their national championship. The number of grandmasters and players registered for each federation in the FIDE database, as of January 2024, are also indicated.
Country Zone National federation #GM #FIDE National championship Afghanistan 3.4 Afghan National Chess Federation 0 452 Afghan Chess Championship Albania 1.5a Albania Chess Federation 1 972 Albanian Chess Championship Algeria 4.1 Fédération Algérienne des échecs 3 6,376 Algerian Chess Championship Andorra 1.10 Federació d'Escacs Valls d'Andorra 3 175 Andorran Chess Championship Angola 4.5 Federação Angolana de Xadrez 0 1,889 Angolan Chess Championship Antigua and Barbuda 2.3.5 Antigua and Barbuda Chess Federation 0 52 – Argentina 2.5 Argentine Chess Federation 23 14,121 Argentine Chess Championship Armenia 1.5b Armenian Chess Federation 40 2,356 Armenian Chess Championship Aruba 2.3.5 Federashon di Ajedrez di Aruba 0 182 – Australia 3.6 Australian Chess Federation 10 7,276 Australian Chess Championship Austria 1.2a Österreichischer Schachbund 11 9,553 Austrian Chess Championship Azerbaijan 1.8 Azerbaijan Chess Federation 30 7,219 Azerbaijani Chess Championship Bahamas 2.3.5 Bahamas Chess Federation 0 202 Bahamian Chess Championship Bahrain 3.1 Bahrain Mind Sports Association 0 791 Bahraini Chess Championship Bangladesh 3.2 Bangladesh Chess Federation 5 9,637 Bangladeshi Chess Championship Barbados 2.3.5 Barbados Chess Federation 0 688 Barbadian Chess Championship Belarus 1.8 Belarus Chess Federation 15 3,119 Belarusian Chess Championship Belgium 1.1b FRBE-KBSB-KSB 9 8,893 Belgian Chess Championship Belize 2.3.2 Belize Chess Federation 0 9 Belize National Chess Championship Bermuda 2.3.5 Bermuda Chess Association 0 193 – Bhutan 3.2 Bhutan Chess Federation 0 133 Bhutan National Premier Chess Championship Bolivia 2.4 Federación Boliviana de Ajedrez 1 5,454 Bolivian Chess Championship Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.2b Sahovski Savez Bosne i Hercegovine 7 3,881 Bosnia and Herzegovina Chess Championship Botswana 4.5 Botswana Chess Federation 0 2,888 Botswana Chess Championship Brazil 2.4 Confed. Brasileira de Xadrez 15 26,903 Brazilian Chess Championship British Virgin Islands 2.3.5 British Virgin Islands Chess Federation 0 10 – Brunei 3.3 Brunei Chess Federation 0 366 Brunei Chess Championship Bulgaria 1.4 Bulgarian Chess Federation 35 6,120 Bulgarian Chess Championship Burkina Faso 4.2 Comité National Burkinabé des Échecs 0 46 Burkinabé Chess Championship Burundi 4.3 Burundi Chess Federation 0 82 Burundian Chess Championship Cambodia 3.3 Cambodian Chess Federation 0 20 Cambodian Chess Championship Cameroon 4.3 Cameroon Chess Federation 0 196 Cameroonian Chess Championship Canada 2.2 Chess Federation of Canada 14 6,051 Canadian Chess Championship Cape Verde 4.2 Federação Cabo-verdiana de Xadrez 0 270 Cape Verdean Chess Championship Cayman Islands 2.3.5 Cayman Islands Chess Federation 0 68 - Central African Republic 4.3 Chess Federation of Central African Republic 0 100 Central African Chess Championship Chad 4.3 Chad Chess Federation 0 17 - Chile 2.5 Fed. Deportiva Nacional De Ajedrez 6 7,422 Chilean Chess Championship China 3.5 Chinese Chess Association 51 5,024 Chinese Chess Championship Chinese Taipei 3.3 Chinese Taipei Chess Association 1 521 Taiwanese Chess Championship Colombia 2.3.4 Fed. Colombiana de Ajedrez 11 13,176 Colombian Chess Championship Comoros 4.4 Comoros Islands Chess Federation 0 44 Comorian Chess Championship Republic of the Congo 4.3 Congolese Chess Federation 0 97 Congolese Chess Championship Costa Rica 2.3.2 Federacion Central de Ajedrez 1 6,264 Costa Rican Chess Championship Croatia 1.2b Hrvatski šahovski savez 30 11,726 Croatian Chess Championship Cuba 2.3.3 Fed. Cubana de Ajedrez 26 3,518 Cuban Chess Championship Cyprus 1.10 Cyprus Chess Federation 0 1,296 Cypriot Chess Championship Czech Republic 1.4 Šachový svaz České republiky 33 16,984 Czech Chess Championship Denmark 1.3 Dansk Skak Union 16 8,092 Danish Chess Championship Djibouti 4.4 Djiboutian Chess Federation 0 130 Djiboutian Chess Championship Dominica 2.3.5 Dominica Chess Federation 0 37 - Dominican Republic 2.3.5 Federación Dominicana de Ajedrez 1 3,470 Dominican Chess Championship Ecuador 2.4 Fed. Ecuatoriana de Ajedrez 1 5,560 Ecuadorian Chess Championship Egypt 4.1 Egyptian Chess Federation 6 16,217 Egyptian Chess Championship El Salvador 2.3.2 Federación Salvadoreña de Ajedrez 0 1,072 Salvadoran Chess Championship England 1.1a English Chess Federation 40 13,885 British Chess Championship Equatorial Guinea 4.3 Asociación Nacional de Ajedrez de Guinea Ecuatorial 0 65 - Eritrea 4.4 Eritrea Chess Federation 0 171 Eritrean Chess Championship Estonia 1.7 Eesti Maleliit 6 2,685 Estonian Chess Championship Eswatini 4.5 Eswatini National Chess Federation 0 288 Swazi Chess Championship Ethiopia 4.4 Ethiopian Chess Federation 0 1,071 Ethiopian Chess Championship Faroe Islands 1.10 Talvsamband Foroya 1 532 Faroese Chess Championship Fiji 3.6 Fiji Chess Federation 0 435 Fijian Chess Championship Finland 1.3 Suomen Keskusshakkiliitto 4 2,154 Finnish Chess Championship France 1.1b French Chess Federation 55 98,861 French Chess Championship Gabon 4.3 Fédération Gabonaise des Échecs 0 123 Gabonese Chess Championship Gambia 4.2 Gambia Chess Federation 0 75 Gambian Chess Championship Georgia 1.5b Chess Federation of Georgia 31 4,542 Georgian Chess Championship Germany 1.2a Deutscher Schachbund 97 47,579 German Chess Championship Ghana 4.2 Ghana Chess Association 0 358 Ghanaian Chess Championship Greece 1.5a Elliniki Skakistiki Omospondia 17 28,134 Greek Chess Championship Grenada 2.3.5 Grenada Chess Federation 0 21 - Guam 3.6 Guam Chess Federation 0 432 – Guatemala 2.3.2 Fed. Nac. de Ajedrez de Guatemala 0 764 Guatemalan Chess Championship Guernsey 1.10 Guernsey Chess Federation 0 41 Guernsey Chess Championship Guyana 2.3.5 Guyana Chess Federation 0 302 Guyanese Chess Championship Haiti 2.3.5 Haitian Chess Federation 0 252 Haitian Chess Championship Honduras 2.3.2 Federación Nacional de Ajedrez de Honduras 0 1,318 Honduran Chess Championship Hong Kong 3.3 Hong Kong Chess Federation 0 1,654 Hong Kong Chess Championship Hungary 1.4 Magyar Sakkszovetseg 52 12,532 Hungarian Chess Championship Iceland 1.3 Skáksamband Íslands 15 3,021 Icelandic Chess Championship India 3.7 All India Chess Federation 83 134,560 Indian Chess Championship Indonesia 3.3 Persatuan Catur Seluruh Indonesia 4 3,364 Indonesian Chess Championship Iran 3.1 Chess Fed. of Islamic Rep. of Iran 15 63,462 Iranian Chess Championship Iraq 3.1 Iraqi Chess Federation 0 3,705 Iraqi Chess Championship Ireland 1.1a Irish Chess Union 1 2,971 Irish Chess Championship Israel 1.2b Israel Chess Federation 49 7,538 Israeli Chess Championship Italy 1.1c Federazione Scacchistica Italiana 18 32,862 Italian Chess Championship Ivory Coast 4.2 Fédération Ivoirienne des Échecs 0 556 Ivorian Chess Championship Jamaica 2.3.5 Jamaica Chess Federation 0 1,073 Jamaican Chess Championship Japan 3.3 National Chess Society of Japan 0 609 Japanese Chess Championship Jersey 1.10 Jersey Chess Federation 0 223 Jersey Chess Championship Jordan 3.1 Royal Jordanian Chess Federation 1 2,908 Jordanian Chess Championship Kazakhstan 3.4 Kazakhstan Chess Federation 18 13,681 Kazakhstani Chess Championship Kenya 4.4 Chess Kenya 0 4,797 Kenyan Chess Championship Kosovo 1.2b Kosovo Chess Federation 0 875 Kosovan Chess Championship Kuwait 3.1 Kuwait Chess Federation 0 834 Kuwaiti Chess Championship Kyrgyzstan 3.4 Chess Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic 0 4,782 Kyrgyzstani Chess Championship Laos 3.3 Lao Chess Federation 0 202 Laotian Chess Championship Latvia 1.7 Latvijas Šaha Federācija 10 4,537 Latvian Chess Championship Lebanon 3.1 Federation Libanaise des Echecs 0 2,480 Lebanese Chess Championship Lesotho 4.5 Chess Federation of Lesotho 0 434 Lesotho Chess Championship Liberia 4.2 Liberia Chess Federation 0 328 Liberian Chess Championship Libya 4.1 General Libyan Chess Federation 0 1,881 Libyan Chess Championship Liechtenstein 1.10 Liechtensteiner Schachverband 0 45 Liechtenstein Chess Championship Lithuania 1.7 Lietuvos šachmatų federacija 11 6,341 Lithuanian Chess Championship Luxembourg 1.10 Federation Luxembourgeoise des Echecs 0 875 Luxembourg Chess Championship Macau 3.3 Grupo de Xadrez de Macau 0 86 – Madagascar 4.4 Madagascar Chess Federation 0 953 Malagasy Chess Championship Malawi 4.5 Chess Association of Malawi 0 1,009 Malawian Chess Championship Malaysia 3.3 Malaysian Chess Federation 0 15,533 Malaysian Chess Championship Maldives 3.2 Maldives Chess Federation 0 573 Maldivian Chess Championship Mali 4.2 Federation Malienne du Jeu D'Echecs 0 135 Malian Chess Championship Malta 1.10 Il-Federazzjoni Maltija tac-Cess 0 142 Maltese Chess Championship Mauritania 4.1 Mauritanian Chess Federation 0 839 Mauritanian Chess Championship Mauritius 4.4 Mauritius Chess Federation 0 69 Mauritian Chess Championship Mexico 2.3.1 Fed. Nac. de Ajedrez de Mexico AC 5 14,128 Mexican Chess Championship Moldova 1.8 Federația de Șah a Republicii Moldova 7 1,524 Moldovan Chess Championship Monaco 1.10 Monaco Chess Federation 3 303 Monaco Chess Championship Mongolia 3.3 Mongolian Chess Federation 8 2,663 Mongolian Chess Championship Montenegro 1.5a Montenegro Chess Federation 11 1,377 Montenegrin Chess Championship Morocco 4.1 Fed. Royale Marocaine des Echecs 1 4,879 Moroccan Chess Championship Mozambique 4.5 Mozambique Chess Federation 0 634 Mozambican Chess Championship Myanmar 3.3 Myanmar Chess Federation 0 2,354 Myanmar Chess Championship Namibia 4.5 Namibia Chess Federation 0 1,206 Namibian Chess Championship Nauru 3.6 Nauru Chess Federation 0 69 Nauruan Chess Championship Nepal 3.2 Nepal Chess Association 0 4,986 Nepalese Chess Championship Netherlands 1.1b Koninklijke Nederlandse Schaakbond 43 10,479 Dutch Chess Championship Netherlands Antilles 2.3.5 Curaçao Chess Federation 0 276 Netherlands Antilles Chess Championship New Zealand 3.6 New Zealand Chess Federation 1 2,547 New Zealand Chess Championship Nicaragua 2.3.2 Federacion Nicaragüense de Ajedrez 0 1,255 Nicaraguan Chess Championship Niger 4.2 Niger Chess Federation 0 69 - Nigeria 4.2 Nigeria Chess Federation 0 3,878 Nigerian Chess Championship North Macedonia 1.2b Chess Federation of Macedonia 10 1,749 Macedonian Chess Championship Norway 1.3 Norges Sjakkforbund 18 8,552 Norwegian Chess Championship Oman 3.1 Oman Chess Committee 0 2,595 Omani Chess Championship Pakistan 3.2 Chess Federation of Pakistan 0 2,963 Pakistani Chess Championship Palau 3.6 Palau Chess Federation 0 267 Palauan Chess Championship Palestine 3.1 Palestine Chess Federation 0 2,410 Palestinian Chess Championship Panama 2.3.2 Fed. de Ajedrez de Panama 0 2,786 Panamanian Chess Championship Papua New Guinea 3.6 Papua New Guinea Chess Federation 0 22 Papua New Guinean Chess Championship Paraguay 2.5 Federacion Paraguaya de Ajedrez 5 1,724 Paraguayan Chess Championship Peru 2.4 Federacion Peruana de Ajedrez 10 13,178 Peruvian Chess Championship Philippines 3.3 National Chess Federation of the Philippines 13 11,996 Philippine Chess Championship Poland 1.4 Polish Chess Federation 50 43,572 Polish Chess Championship Portugal 1.1c Federação Portuguesa de Xadrez 4 8,047 Portuguese Chess Championship Puerto Rico 2.3.5 Fed. de Ajedrez de Puerto Rico 0 1,316 Puerto Rican Chess Championship Qatar 3.1 Qatar Chess Association 3 186 Qatari Chess Championship Romania 1.4 Federatia Romana de Șah 26 13,041 Romanian Chess Championship Russia 3.8 Chess Federation of Russia 185 120,128 Russian Chess Championship Rwanda 4.4 Rwanda Chess Federation 0 192 Rwandan Chess Championship Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.3.5 Saint Kitts and Nevis Chess Federation 0 12 - Saint Lucia 2.3.5 Saint Lucia Chess Federation 0 70 - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2.3.5 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Chess Federation 0 21 - San Marino 1.10 Federazione Sammarinese degli Scacchi 0 54 Sammarinese Chess Championship São Tomé and Príncipe 4.3 Sao Tome and Principe Chess Federation 0 170 São Tomé and Príncipe Chess Championship Saudi Arabia 3.1 Saudi Chess Association 0 3,516 Saudi Arabian Chess Championship Scotland 1.1a Chess Scotland 6 1,468 Scottish Chess Championship Senegal 4.2 Senegalese Chess Federation 1 194 Senegalese Chess Championship Serbia 1.5a Chess Federation of Serbia 53 12,767 Serbian Chess Championship Seychelles 4.4 Seychelles Chess Federation 0 79 Seychelles Chess Championship Sierra Leone 4.2 Sierra Leone Chess Federation 0 79 Sierra Leonean Chess Championship Singapore 3.3 Singapore Chess Federation 5 5,618 Singaporean Chess Championship Slovakia 1.4 Slovensky Sachovy Zvaz 14 9,528 Slovak Chess Championship Slovenia 1.2a Sahovska Zveza Slovenije 14 7,053 Slovenian Chess Championship Solomon Islands 3.6 Solomon Islands Chess Federation 0 122 Solomon Island Chess Championship Somalia 4.4 Somali Chess Federation 0 146 Somali Chess Championship South Africa 4.5 Chess South Africa 1 8,599 South African Chess Championship South Korea 3.3 Korea Chess Federation 1 2,416 South Korean Chess Championship South Sudan 4.4 South Sudan Chess Federation 0 502 South Sudanese Chess Championship Spain 1.1c Federacion Espanola de Ajedrez 59 74,610 Spanish Chess Championship Sri Lanka 3.2 Chess Federation of Sri Lanka 0 21,776 Sri Lankan Chess Championship Sudan 4.4 Sudan Chess Federation 0 1,664 Sudanese Chess Championship Suriname 2.3.5 De Surinaamse Schaakbond 0 637 Surinamese Chess Championship Sweden 1.3 Sveriges Schackförbund 25 8,537 Swedish Chess Championship Switzerland 1.2a Schweizerischer Schachbund 11 5,854 Swiss Chess Championship Syria 3.1 Syrian Arab Chess Federation 0 1,531 Syrian Chess Championship Tajikistan 3.4 Federazijai Shakhmati Tajikistan 1 409 Tajikistani Chess Championship Tanzania 4.4 Tanzania Chess Association 0 242 Tanzanian Chess Championship Thailand 3.3 Thailand Chess Association 0 2,087 Thai Chess Championship Timor-Leste 3.3 Federação Xadrez de Timor-Leste 0 594 Timorese Chess Championship Togo 4.2 Togolese Chess Federation 0 546 Togolese Chess Championship Trinidad and Tobago 2.3.5 Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association 0 1,326 Trinidad and Tobago Chess Championship Tunisia 4.1 Tunisian Chess Federation 3 4,933 Tunisian Chess Championship Turkey 1.5a Turkish Chess Federation 14 49,282 Turkish Chess Championship Turkmenistan 3.4 Turkmenistan Chess Federation 7 1,347 Turkmen Chess Championship Uganda 4.4 Uganda Chess Federation 0 3,870 Ugandan Chess Championship Ukraine 1.9 Ukrainian Chess Federation 88 18,518 Ukrainian Chess Championship United Arab Emirates 3.1 UAE Chess Federation 2 3,244 Emirati Chess Championship United States 2.1 United States Chess Federation 106 25,204 U.S. Chess Championship
U.S. Women's Chess ChampionshipUnited States Virgin Islands 2.3.5 US Virgin Islands Chess Federation 0 73 – Uruguay 2.5 Federación Uruguaya de Ajedrez 3 2,453 Uruguayan Chess Championship Uzbekistan 3.4 Chess Federation of Uzbekistan 17 3,304 Uzbekistani Chess Championship Venezuela 2.3.5 Fed. Venezolana de Ajedrez 1 11,363 Venezuelan Chess Championship Vietnam 3.3 Vietnam Chess Federation 13 6,065 Vietnamese Chess Championship Wales 1.1a Welsh Chess Union 0 830 Welsh Chess Championship Yemen 3.1 Yemen Chess Association 0 656 Yemeni Chess Championship Zambia 4.5 Chess Federation of Zambia 1 2,932 Zambian Chess Championship Zimbabwe 4.5 Zimbabwe Chess Federation 0 1,863 Zimbabwean Chess Championship
Former FIDE members
The list below includes nations that no longer exist as well as national federations that are currently not members of FIDE.
Country National federation National championship Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak Chess Championship Soviet Union USSR Chess Federation USSR Chess Championship Yugoslavia Yugoslav Chess Championship