The Chess Federation of Georgia (until 1992 — Chess Section of Georgia) is the main governing body of chess in Georgia (country) and is affiliated with FIDE. It oversees the development, promotion, and organization of chess competitions in the country, and forms national teams for men and women.
History The federation was established on December 19, 1936, when a chess club opened at Rustaveli Avenue No.48 in Tbilisi. This club served as the center of Georgian chess until 1973. The first chairman was Victor Goglidze, the first Georgian chess master. Under his guidance, a 1948 decree was adopted to promote chess in Georgia.
The development of Georgian chess was further supported by the construction of the Tbilisi Chess Palace in Vera Park. Project work began under Giorgi Jabua and was completed during Archil Chirakadze's leadership.
Throughout its history, the federation was headed by influential public figures (ministers, diplomats, editors), which facilitated organizing world championship matches (with Nona Gaprindashvili), hosting international tournaments, publishing chess bulletins, and promoting chess through the media.
After Georgia regained independence in the 1990s, the federation strengthened its international presence. During Vazha Shubladze’s leadership, Georgia achieved notable results in Chess Olympiad and European Team Chess Championship. The Nona Gaprindashvili International Cup was established to award the country with the best combined result of men’s and women’s teams at the Olympiad.
Activities The Chess Federation of Georgia coordinates chess development nationwide, including:
National championships — Annual Georgian Chess Championship events for men, women, age categories (8–18), and veterans. International relations — Member of FIDE and European Chess Union, cooperating with international bodies to host tournaments. National team preparation — Formation of national men’s and women’s teams, organizing training camps, and participation in Chess Olympiad and world and European team events. Educational projects — Implementing the Chess in Schools program to integrate chess as an educational tool.
Major events Georgia has hosted numerous international competitions:
43rd Chess Olympiad in Batumi (2018) Chess World Cup (2017) European individual championships for men and women World and European youth championships
Regional development The federation coordinates regional chess organizations and clubs in cities such as Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Poti, Gori, Rustavi, and Zugdidi, focusing on identifying and supporting talented young players.
Presidents Name Years Status / Key activity Victor Goglidze 1936–1954 First Georgian chess master; professional player Mikheil Kakabadze 1954–1956 Journalist; editor of Lelo Giorgi Jabua 1956–1960 Professor; Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Archil Chirakadze 1960–1972 Minister of Finance; supervised Chess Palace construction Alexander Chikvaidze 1972–1978 Historian; diplomat; Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgi Bedineishvili 1978–1988 Editor of Kommunisti Petre Chkheidze 1988–1991 Lawyer; Georgian representative to United Nations Guram Absandze 1991–1992 Minister of Finance Alexander Chikvaidze 1992–1994 Second term Vazha Shubladze 1994–1998 Sports official; Olympic successes Zurab Azmaiparashvili 1998–2000 Grandmaster; federation president Nona Gaprindashvili 2000– Five-time world champion; first female president Nino Gurieli 2002–2004 International women's grandmaster Kakha ChigogidzeBarkaia, Andro, "New president, new plans: Chess", Sakartvelos Respublika (in Georgian), Tbilisi, 23 Mar 2004, №67 (4794), p. 8 2004– Chess player Guram AbsandzeBarkaia, Andro, "Guram Absandze – Federation president", Sakartvelos Respublika (in Georgian), Tbilisi, 23 Dec 2004, №297 (5026), p. 5 2004–2006 Re-elected for a second term Roman SichinavaSichinava, Roman, "Roman Sichinava to lead the federation", Sakartvelos Respublika (in Georgian), Tbilisi, 26 Dec 2006, №256 (5597), p. 13 2006– Georgian chess player; international master Giorgi GiorgadzeKoba Davitaia, "Giorgi Giorgadze – new president of the Chess Federation", Sportsiakhleni (in Georgian), №26(780), 1–7 Jul 2008, p.6Koba Davitaia, "Chess Federation assembly and presidential elections", Sportsiakhleni (in Georgian), Tbilisi, 30 Nov–6 Dec 2010, №47(902), p.31Bejan Dolidze, "Giorgi Giorgadze re-elected", Sakartvelos Respublika (in Georgian), Tbilisi, 25 Dec 2018, №262 (8663), p.10 2008–2022 International grandmaster Akaki IashviliMerab Mamulashvili, "Akaki Iashvili elected president of the Chess Federation", 1TVSPORT, 23 Dec 2022, source (in Georgian) 2022–present Former FIDE vice-president
References
Bibliography Giorgadze, T. Chronicle of Georgian Chess, Part III. Tbilisi, 2000, pp. 11–13.
External links Official website