FIDE just launched its Excellence Awards, a new biennial program that will recognize achievements across the entire chess world. The inaugural ceremony happens in September 2026 in Samarkand during the Chess Olympiad.
The structure is simple. FIDE established six regular award categories plus five discretionary ones. The program runs on a two-year cycle, starting fresh after each Olympiad and wrapping up at the next one. This means the recognition window spans real competitive time, not arbitrary calendar years.
Nominations are open now through the official FIDE Excellence Awards website. This is your window to submit candidates. The community drives this. You nominate players, organizers, federations, teams, content creators, and initiatives that shaped the chess landscape since the last Olympiad.
What matters here is reach. FIDE isn't just honoring world champions anymore. They're recognizing federation work, tournament organization, chess education, streaming, coaching innovations, and grassroots development. If you've seen someone do something outstanding for chess in the last two years, nominate them.
The September Samarkand ceremony will be the statement event. These awards will carry real prestige because they come straight from FIDE and celebrate the full spectrum of chess activity, not just tournament results. Submit your nominations before the deadline passes.