Update of the FIDE Endorsed Academies Program

Update of the FIDE Endorsed Academies Program


The FIDE Trainers Commission (TRG) keeps making progress in developing a comprehensive, meaningful and relevant FIDE Academies Program in 2021.

For both FIDE and TRG, it is very important that FIDE Academies don’t just bear the FIDE name just as a sign of endorsement, but that they are also active and a leader in their area of work, with currently licensed trainers, and are able to work closely with us for the development of the game.

That was not always the case in the past. FIDE now demands Academies to meet the standards established by the TRG, and to use an established reporting procedure. Outstanding balances have been cleared, after some academies were in arrears for years.

The 2020 reports which were to submitted by the 31 January 2021 deadline has been used by TRG to better understand their work and to assist with any financial difficulties resulting from the pandemic.

As it was mentioned in a recent FIDE newsletter, Trainer Seminars now adopt a teaching curriculum where the subjects have moved beyond just teaching how to play better chess through the inclusion of topics such as psychological and training issues and the use of the technology.

These are skills critically needed by trainers today, and TRG will be looking to offer continuous learning through a series of Trainer Professional Education and Development Workshops to be organized together with FIDE Academies.

FIDE and TRG have also developed three significant activity proposals/programs specifically for FIDE Academies in 2021:

1. Inaugural FIDE Academies Annual Conference & Championships.
2. Having a Special Trainers Foundation Course for the Teaching of Young Players (FIDE Rated 1200-1700).
3. Co-operation with TRG for the organizing of Seminars, Workshops and Camps.

Currently, at the start of 2021, there are 43 academies (14 in Asia, 13 in Europe, 9 in Africa, and 6 in the Americas). In comparison, there were 74 academies at the end of 2018 where, of these, 43 were either terminated due to long-standing arrears or decided to opt-out while 12 new academies were added in 2019 and 2020.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us as trainers@fide.com