The Asian Chess Federation (ACF) has introduced a initiative it’s calling echess, aiming to drive the narrative that esports and chess must be an official IOC-recognized sport.
The initiative was introduced by the ACF on the FIDE Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary in partnership with Checkmate Reside, ACF’s official on-line broadcast, knowledge and match platform associate.
The echess initiative will start in October 2024 and can see AFC host a collection of official tournaments in addition to schooling occasions. As a part of the partnership, nationwide federations inside Asia might be given the chance to carry echess participant and group programmes.
The initiative goals to capitalise off the exceptional progress that the digital chess group has skilled in the previous few years. In keeping with a launch, main on-line platforms have seen their consumer bases increase by over 400% since 2020.
In partnership with Checkmate Reside, ACF goals to open up new new alternatives for progress in each over-the-board conventional chess and esports chess.
With Abu Dhabi set to host the 2028 Chess Olympiad, ACF stated the timing of the initiative works in its favour. The organisation sees this as a possibility to showcase the area when it comes to chess and esports.
Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation, was current on the FIDE Olympaid and said in his opening remarks: “Because the Asian Chess Federation is well-known for its initiatives, I wish to take this chance to encourage all of us to be pioneers in digital chess.
“Each the Worldwide Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia are more and more integrating esports into their occasions, and chess, being acknowledged as an esport, has a novel alternative to shine on this area.
“In mild of this, I’m happy to announce that we’re adopting what we are going to name the ‘Echess Initiative.’ This can place us on the forefront of the digital chess motion, guaranteeing that Asia leads the way in which in innovation and progress throughout the world of chess.”
