Competition, history, and culture
Ratings, titles, events, organizations, players, and traditions.
290 terms
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Tournament formats, pairings, and time controls
74- Over-the-boardChess played by opponents at a physical board, as distinct from moves transmitted through the internet or other remote means.
- Online chessChess in which players transmit their moves through the internet using a virtual board or connected electronic playing device.
- Correspondence chessA form of chess where the players are not seated at the same board and transmit moves remotely, normally with long periods for reflection.
- Postal chessA form of correspondence chess in which players transmit their moves primarily through physical mail.
- Blindfold chessA form of chess in which a player cannot see the board and must keep the entire position in mind.
- Simultaneous exhibitionA format in which one player plays several separate chess games at the same time against multiple opponents.
- Blindfold simultaneous exhibitionAn exhibition in which one player plays several games at once without seeing the boards and keeps every position in memory.
- Consultation gameA game in which two or more players on the same side discuss the position and jointly choose their moves.
- Team matchA contest between two teams across several boards, with individual game results combined into an overall team result.
- Swiss systemA fixed-round tournament format that repeatedly pairs players with equal or nearby scores without requiring everyone to meet.
- Round-robinA tournament format in which every participant plays exactly one game against every other participant.
- Double round-robinA format in which every participant faces every opponent twice, normally once with White and once with Black.
- KnockoutA format in which participants play successive elimination rounds and the loser of each contest leaves the tournament.
- MatchA scheduled contest between the same two players over one or more games, with an overall result determined by stated rules.
- Mini-matchA short match of only a few games, with its exact length and thinking-time limits defined by the event regulations.
- Arena tournamentA fixed-duration online format in which players play successive games and accumulate points until the tournament clock expires.
- Scheveningen systemA group format in which every member of one group plays every member of the opposing group.
- FIDE (Dutch) SystemOne of FIDE's approved Swiss pairing systems, using scoregroups and ordered priorities for opponents, floaters, and colors.
- Dubov systemA FIDE Swiss pairing system that tries to balance the average strength of opponents faced by players who have the same score.
- Accelerated pairingA Swiss-system variation that modifies early pairings to reduce highly uneven matchups in the opening rounds.
- Berger tableA predefined table that turns pairing numbers into a complete round-robin schedule.
- Color allocationThe process that decides which player receives White and which receives Black after a pairing has been formed.
- FloatA Swiss-pairing marker associated with movement between score levels, usually when opponents with different scores are paired.
- UpfloatThe label given to a player from a lower scoregroup after playing an opponent from a higher scoregroup.
- DownfloatA label usually given to a player from a higher scoregroup after playing someone from a lower one, and also assigned by FIDE in certain no-game cases.
- Pairing bracketA temporary group of players that a Swiss system processes together while forming pairings for a round.
- ScoregroupThe set of participants who have the same score for pairing purposes at a given point in a Swiss tournament.
- SeedingThe process of ordering or placing participants before play, usually using rating or another criterion defined by the event.
- Starting rankA participant's position in the tournament's ordered starting list before results begin changing the standings.
- Classical chessChess played with long time controls, in contrast with rapid and blitz formats.
- RapidA format in which each player's regulatory playing time is more than 10 minutes but less than 60 under FIDE rules.
- BlitzA very fast format that the FIDE Laws define as 10 minutes or less of regulatory playing time per player.
- BulletA widely used informal name for extremely fast chess games, usually shorter than ordinary blitz.
- IncrementA fixed amount of time added to a player's clock for every move.
- DelayA clock mode that gives a non-cumulative grace period on each move before the player's main time is fully consumed.
- Bronstein delayA clock mode that, after each move, restores up to a fixed amount of the time just used, without letting the balance exceed its start-of-move level.
- Sudden deathA term used for a final clock period in which all remaining moves must be completed and, in some events, for a deciding game or phase intended to settle a tied match.
- AdjournmentA formal suspension of an unfinished game so that play can resume later from the same position.
- Time controlThe rule that determines how much thinking time each player has and when additional time is received during a game.
- ArmageddonA tie-breaking game in which one colour receives draw odds, ensuring that the game produces a winner of the match.
- PlayoffAn extra game or series of games played over the board to rank participants who finished tied.
- TiebreakA regulated criterion that ranks participants on equal scores without additional games, using tournament results or other data specified by the regulations.
- ByeA round in which a participant has no opponent; the points received depend on the type of bye and the event regulations.
- Half-point byeA requested bye in which the player does not play the round and receives half a point under the event's conditions.
- Short drawA game that ends in a draw after relatively few moves; it is a descriptive term with no universal move-count threshold.
- Burstein systemA Swiss pairing system designed so players on equal scores have faced opposition of roughly comparable strength.
- Lim systemA Swiss pairing system that processes scoregroups from both ends of the standings and pairs the median scoregroup last.
- Double-Swiss systemA Swiss system in which every pairing is a two-game match between the same players, with colours reversed for the second game.
- Swiss team pairing systemA system that applies Swiss pairing principles to whole teams round by round according to their score.
- Baku acceleration methodAn acceleration method that changes early Swiss pairings with temporary virtual points to reduce highly uneven first-round matchups.
- Varma tableA restricted tournament-number draw table designed to help keep players from the same federation apart in the final rounds.
- Color differenceColor difference is the number of games played with White minus the number played with Black.
- Color preferenceColor preference is the color, White or Black, that a pairing system should ideally give a player in the next game.
- Color historyColor history records the sequence of tournament games in which a player had White or Black.
- Tournament Pairing NumberThe Tournament Pairing Number, or TPN, identifies a participant's initial position in the ordering used by the tournament pairing system.
- Pairing-allocated byeA pairing-allocated bye is a round in which the pairing system leaves one participant without an opponent because an odd number must be paired.
- Full-point byeA full-point bye is an unplayed round in which a participant receives the same score that a win would award.
- Zero-point byeA zero-point bye is an unplayed round in which the participant receives zero points.
- Fixed board orderA stable team list assigning each player a board position for the duration of a competition.Intermediate
- Hutton SystemA large team-event system in which every team meets every other team, while each player covers only part of the schedule.
- Hybrid chessA competition in which moves are played online while every player is physically supervised at an approved venue.
- Moved-down playerA player who could not be paired in one scoregroup and is carried into the next lower bracket by the Swiss pairing algorithm.Advanced
- Online chess with supervisionInternet competition in which an arbiter remotely monitors players through technical controls specified by the event.
- Pairing exchangeA Dutch-system operation that swaps equal-sized groups of resident players between two subgroups to seek a valid pairing.Expert
- Pairing transpositionA reordering of the resident players in S2 to test a different candidate pairing in the Dutch algorithm.Expert
- Quad tournamentA format that normally places four players in a small round robin, giving each participant three games.
- Reflection timeTime charged to a player while it is that player's turn to move in a correspondence chess game.Intermediate
- Requested byeA round that a participant asks not to play and that normally scores either half a point or zero under the event rules.Intermediate
- Resident playerA player belonging to the scoregroup that creates a pairing bracket in the FIDE Dutch system.Advanced
- Sealed moveA player's next move written in secret when a game is adjourned and will be resumed later.Intermediate
- Silli SystemA system for very large correspondence events that assigns each entrant a limited set of opponents through a predetermined formula.
- Sofia RuleAn optional rule preventing players from offering or agreeing a draw before an event-defined move threshold.
- Thematic tournamentA competition in which every game begins from a predetermined opening, move sequence, or position.
- Triple Block time controlA correspondence time control that divides each player's available time among a clock, an increment, and a bank.
Results, tie-breaks, ratings, titles, and arbitration
77- Direct encounterDirect encounter is a tie-break that compares the points scored in games played among the participants who finished tied.
- BuchholzBuchholz is a Swiss-tournament tie-break that adds the final scores of a participant's opponents.
- Buchholz Median-1Buchholz Median-1 is a Buchholz variation that removes one least significant and one most significant contribution before summing the rest.
- Sonneborn-BergerSonneborn-Berger is a tie-break that combines each opponent's final score with the points the player scored against that opponent.
- Koya systemThe Koya system is a round-robin tie-break that adds points scored against participants who achieved at least 50% of the maximum possible tournament score.
- Progressive scoreProgressive score is a tie-break that adds the participant's total tournament score at the end of every round.
- Performance ratingPerformance rating estimates the rating level represented by a player's result in a specific set of games against opponents of a given strength.
- Live ratingA live rating is an in-period estimate that incorporates recent results before those changes appear on the next official published rating list.
- Provisional ratingA provisional rating is a temporary strength figure used before an official or established rating exists, but its exact meaning depends on the system using the term.
- Rating floorA lower limit that a rating system places on a rating or uses as a minimum value for a specific calculation.
- EloA numerical system that estimates competitive strength from a player's results against rated opponents.
- GrandmasterGrandmaster, or GM, is the highest player title in the open over-the-board series of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
- International MasterInternational Master, or IM, is an open International Chess Federation (FIDE) title below Grandmaster and above FIDE Master.
- FIDE MasterFIDE Master, or FM, is an open over-the-board title of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), positioned between International Master and Candidate Master.
- Candidate MasterCandidate Master, or CM, is the entry title in the open over-the-board player-title series of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
- Woman GrandmasterWoman Grandmaster, or WGM, is a women's title of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) with requirements separate from the open Grandmaster title.
- Woman International MasterWoman International Master, or WIM, is a women's title of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), positioned between Woman Grandmaster and Woman FIDE Master.
- Woman FIDE MasterWoman FIDE Master, or WFM, is a women's title of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) whose ordinary rating threshold is 2100.
- Woman Candidate MasterWoman Candidate Master, or WCM, is the entry-level title in the women's title series of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
- Arena GrandmasterArena Grandmaster, or AGM, is the highest lower-rating-band online title of FIDE Online Arena, recognized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
- NormA norm is a tournament performance meeting the performance and opposition requirements of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for a specific title.
- GM normA GM norm is a performance satisfying the International Chess Federation (FIDE) requirements used on the path to the Grandmaster title.
- IM normAn IM norm is a performance satisfying the International Chess Federation (FIDE) requirements used on the path to the International Master title.
- Direct titleA direct title is a title that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) awards for a specified result in a recognized competition.
- Title applicationA title application is the administrative process for submitting to the International Chess Federation (FIDE) the evidence needed to approve or register a title.
- FIDE IDA FIDE ID, or FIN, is the unique number identifying a player registered by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
- FIDE ArbiterThe entry-level international arbiter title awarded by FIDE to officials who meet defined training and tournament-experience requirements.
- International ArbiterFIDE's advanced international arbiter title, awarded to FIDE Arbiters who satisfy additional training and experience requirements.
- Arena International MasterAn official FIDE Online Arena title earned by maintaining an online rating of at least 1700 for a required number of games.
- Arena FIDE MasterAn official FIDE Online Arena title earned by maintaining an online rating of at least 1400 for a required number of games.
- Arena Candidate MasterAn official FIDE Online Arena title earned by maintaining an online rating of at least 1100 for a required number of games.
- WGM normA tournament result that satisfies FIDE's conditions to count toward the women-specific Woman Grandmaster title.
- WIM normA tournament result that satisfies FIDE's conditions to count toward the women-specific Woman International Master title.
- AdjudicationA procedure that assigns a result to an unfinished game through evaluation by an independent third party.Advanced
- Appeals CommitteeA tournament body that reviews a formal appeal submitted after the Chief Arbiter has made a decision.
- Arbiter normA certificate evaluating arbitral performance in a valid activity that may count toward a FIDE arbiter title application.
- Average of Opponents' BuchholzA tie-break averaging the Buchholz scores of faced opponents to measure a second layer of schedule difficulty.
- Average Perfect Tournament Performance of OpponentsA tie-break averaging each opponent's perfect performance as calculated from that opponent's score and field strength.
- Average Rating of OpponentsA tie-break calculating the average rating of the opponents a player actually faced over the board.
- Average Tournament Performance Rating of OpponentsA tie-break averaging the tournament performance rating calculated for every opponent faced.
- Board CountA team knockout tie-break weighting game points according to the number of the board on which they were scored.
- Bottom Board EliminationA team tie-break progressively excluding results from the lowest boards until the tie is broken.
- Chief ArbiterThe person leading a tournament's arbitral operation and making the highest-responsibility decisions within that team.
- Correspondence Chess ExpertAn international player title awarded by ICCF for regulated results in correspondence chess.
- Correspondence Chess MasterAn ICCF international title for players who achieve master-level results in correspondence chess.
- Development coefficientThe multiplier controlling how much a FIDE rating changes when actual results differ from expected results.Advanced
- Developmental InstructorA FIDE trainer title with an associated license, focused on teaching children and adults who are starting chess.
- Extended Direct Encounter for TeamsA team tie-break examining games among tied teams with the primary score first and the secondary score next.
- Extended Sonneborn-Berger for TeamsA family of team tie-breaks weighting what was scored against each opponent by that opponent's final score.
- FIDE Associate OrganizerThe first FIDE organizer title for people with demonstrated experience running standard rated chess tournaments.
- FIDE InstructorA FIDE trainer title with an associated license for developing intermediate and advanced players toward organized competition.
- FIDE International OrganizerA FIDE title for organizers with broad international experience and specific preparation to direct high-level official events.
- FIDE Premier OrganizerFIDE's highest organizer title, awarded for an exceptional record directing major official chess competitions.
- FIDE Senior TrainerFIDE's highest trainer title, reserved for an extraordinary and sustained contribution to high-level chess.
- FIDE TrainerAn official title for coaches able to prepare advanced players for international competitions, title norms, and championships.
- Fore BuchholzA tie-break that calculates Buchholz as if every paired game in the final round had ended in a draw.
- ICCF GrandmasterICCF's highest player title for elite achievement in international correspondence chess.
- ICCF International ArbiterAn ICCF title for correspondence tournament directors with extensive experience and proven administrative work.
- ICCF International MasterA permanent ICCF international player title for strong results in correspondence chess.
- ICCF Senior International MasterA permanent ICCF title placed between International Master and Grandmaster in correspondence chess.
- Inactive playerA player who keeps a FIDE rating but has played no rated games for one year.Basic
- Initial ratingThe first playing-strength number that FIDE officially publishes for a previously unrated player.Intermediate
- Match Points or Game PointsA team tie-break that uses whichever score type does not determine the primary standings.
- National InstructorAn official FIDE title for trainers who develop players toward national and international youth competition.
- Number of Games Played with BlackA tie-break that counts how many games a participant actually played with the black pieces.
- Number of Games WonA tie-break that counts only victories earned in games that were actually played.
- Number of Games Won with BlackA tie-break that counts victories earned in games actually played with the black pieces.
- Number of WinsA tie-break that counts rounds in which a participant receives the full score awarded for a win, with or without play.
- Official FIDE Rating ListThe recurring publication that establishes FIDE's official ratings and replaces the preceding list.
- Perfect Tournament PerformanceA tie-break that finds the lowest whole-number rating whose expected score reaches the player's actual score.
- Rating periodThe interval during which an official rating list is valid and whose accepted results feed the next list.Intermediate
- Rounds one Elected to PlayA tie-break that starts with all tournament rounds and subtracts certain chosen byes or unplayed losses.
- Scores and Schedule Strength CombinationA team tie-break that adds the secondary score to a normalized measure of the opponents' strength.
- Scoring probabilityThe fraction of a point the rating system expects a player to score from a given rating difference.Advanced
- Standard PointsA tie-break that normalizes each round as a win, equality or loss by comparing the participant's score with the scheduled opponent's.
- Top Board ResultsA team tie-break that compares points on board one first, then moves downward board by board if the tie remains.
- Unrated playerA player who has no published rating on the particular list and time control used for the competition.Basic
Organizations
16- FIDEThe international governing body for competitive chess, providing official frameworks for rules, ratings, titles, and major international events.
- US ChessThe national chess federation of the United States, responsible for organizing and rating much of the country's official competitive chess.
- ICCFThe international federation for correspondence chess, where moves are transmitted remotely and thinking time is normally far longer than in live play.
- WFCCThe world federation for chess composition, covering the creation, solving, regulation, and competition of chess problems and studies.
- African Chess ConfederationThe continental organization that brings national federations together and coordinates institutional and competitive chess in Africa.
- Arab Chess FederationA transnational organization that brings together and coordinates chess federations from Arab countries.
- Asian Chess FederationThe continental organization that coordinates national federations, championships and chess development across Asia.
- Commonwealth Chess AssociationAn international organization representing shared chess activities among countries of the Commonwealth.
- Confederation of Chess for AmericasThe continental organization coordinating national federations and official chess competitions across the Americas.
- European Chess UnionA continental association of national federations that represents and organizes European chess.
- International Braille Chess AssociationThe international organization promoting and structuring chess for blind and visually impaired people.
- International Chess Committee of the DeafThe international organization representing and organizing competitive chess for deaf people.
- International Computer Games AssociationAn international organization for research, development and competition involving programs that play chess and other games.
- International Physically Disabled Chess AssociationA FIDE-affiliated international federation representing and creating competitive opportunities for chess players with physical disabilities.
- International School Chess FederationAn international organization connecting school associations and promoting chess as both an educational and competitive activity.
- Oceania Chess ConfederationA regional organization that coordinates and promotes chess activity among federations and communities across Oceania.
Chess history, schools, and obsolete terminology
15- ShatranjA medieval Persian and Islamic form of chess with a similar board and setup but several different piece powers and rules.
- Classical schoolA strategic tradition associated with Steinitz that emphasized evaluating the position, accumulating durable advantages, and attacking when justified.
- Hypermodern schoolAn early twentieth-century school that showed the center can be controlled from a distance and an overextended pawn center can become a target.
- Romantic schoolA historical label for nineteenth-century chess emphasizing rapid development, initiative, king attacks, gambits, and spectacular sacrifices.
- Soviet schoolA twentieth-century Soviet training tradition known for systematic study, deep analysis, opening preparation, and organized competitive development.
- AlfilA historical piece that leaped exactly two squares diagonally and differed sharply from the modern bishop.
- Café de la RégenceA Paris café that served for generations as one of the leading public centers of European chess.
- ChaturajiA historical Indian four-player game related to chess and known through incomplete or varying descriptions of its rules.
- ChaturangaAn ancient Indian strategy game regarded as one of the principal historical ancestors of chess.
- FerzA historical counselor piece that moved one square diagonally and became an ancestor of the modern queen.
- King's leapA family of medieval rules allowing an exceptional early king move before castling became standardized.
- Mad Queen chessA historical name for the European reform that gave the queen its modern mobility and greatly accelerated play.
- MansubaA historical composed position asking the solver to prove a win, draw, or another result under old rules.
- Mechanical TurkA famous eighteenth-century exhibition machine that seemed to play chess alone but concealed a human operator.
- Modenese schoolAn eighteenth-century theoretical current favoring rapid development, open lines, and direct attacks on the king.
Influential players
51- PhilidorAn eighteenth-century French master who made pawn play and strategy central subjects in the systematic study of chess.
- StauntonA leading nineteenth-century English player, writer, and organizer whose surname also identifies the standard tournament chess-piece design.
- MorphyA nineteenth-century American prodigy whose brief career showed the value of rapid development, activity, and well-prepared attacks with unusual clarity.
- SteinitzThe first official World Chess Champion and a thinker who helped replace automatic attacking with a more systematic evaluation of the position.
- CapablancaThe Cuban World Champion from 1921 to 1927, renowned for clarity, technical precision, and mastery of positions with few pieces.
- AlekhineA World Champion known for combining strategic preparation with complex attacks, sacrifices, and deeply calculated sequences.
- BotvinnikA Soviet World Champion and influential teacher who made systematic preparation a central part of elite chess.
- TalA Latvian World Champion famous for sacrifices, initiative, and complex positions that forced opponents to solve difficult problems at the board.
- FischerAn American World Champion from 1972 to 1975 whose extraordinary path to the title ended a long succession of Soviet champions.
- KasparovA World Champion from 1985 to 2000, famous for attacking energy, opening preparation, and a central role in the computer-chess era.
- CarlsenA Norwegian World Champion from 2013 to 2023, noted for versatility, endgame technique, and an ability to win seemingly balanced positions.
- Viswanathan AnandAn Indian grandmaster and world champion who helped turn India into a central force in international chess.
- Adolf AnderssenA nineteenth-century German master, winner of London 1851, and an emblematic figure of attacking chess.
- David BronsteinA Soviet grandmaster, 1951 world title challenger, and one of the most creative chess thinkers of his era.
- Maia ChiburdanidzeA Georgian grandmaster who held the Women's World Chess Championship from 1978 until 1991.
- Mikhail ChigorinA nineteenth-century Russian master, twice a world title challenger, and a founding figure of Russian chess.
- Ding LirenA Chinese grandmaster who held the open World Chess Championship from 2023 until 2024.
- EuweMax Euwe was the fifth world chess champion, as well as a mathematician, author, teacher, and president of the International Chess Federation.
- GaprindashviliNona Gaprindashvili was Women's World Champion from 1962 to 1978 and the first woman to receive chess's highest standard international title.
- GrecoGioacchino Greco was a seventeenth-century Italian master and author whose manuscripts spread attacking ideas, traps, and forcing combinations.
- GukeshGukesh Dommaraju is an Indian chess player who became the youngest world champion at age 18 in 2024.
- Hou YifanHou Yifan is a Chinese chess player, four-time women's world champion, and accomplished competitor in events open to every gender.
- Ju WenjunJu Wenjun is a Chinese chess player who won five editions of the Women's World Championship from 2018 through 2025.
- Judit PolgárJudit Polgár was a Hungarian chess player who reached the world elite while competing mainly in events open to every gender.
- KarpovAnatoly Karpov was the twelfth world champion and a master of gradual pressure and converting small advantages.
- KeresPaul Keres was an Estonian and Soviet chess player, major tournament winner, and one of the strongest players never to become world champion.
- KorchnoiViktor Korchnoi was a Soviet and Swiss chess player who challenged twice for the world title and remained elite for an exceptionally long career.
- KramnikVladimir Kramnik defeated Kasparov for the world title in 2000 and reunited the championship's two rival branches in 2006.
- La BourdonnaisLouis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais was the leading player of the 1830s and winner of the famous series against Alexander McDonnell.
- LarsenBent Larsen was a Danish chess player, world title contender, and one of the most original leading players of his generation.
- LaskerEmanuel Lasker was the second world champion and held the title for 27 years, the longest continuous official reign.
- MaróczyGéza Maróczy was an elite Hungarian player known for strategic control, precision, and influential coaching.
- MarshallFrank Marshall was a United States champion, world title challenger, and celebrated attacker known for sacrifices and unexpected resources.
- MenchikVera Menchik was the first women's world champion and a pioneer who regularly competed against leading players of every gender.
- NajdorfMiguel Najdorf was a Polish-Argentine chess player, world elite contender, and exceptional team competitor.
- NimzowitschAron Nimzowitsch was an elite player and writer who reshaped modern strategy through hypermodern ideas.
- PetrosianTigran Petrosian was the ninth world champion, renowned for preventing threats and turning defense into counterattack.
- PillsburyHarry Nelson Pillsbury was a rapidly rising American master, Hastings 1895 winner, and exceptional blindfold player.
- ReshevskySamuel Reshevsky was an American prodigy and world-title contender whose elite career lasted for several decades.
- RétiRichard Réti was a player, writer, and composer who helped establish the hypermodern approach to chess.
- RubinsteinAkiba Rubinstein was one of the strongest players never to win the world title and a lasting endgame model.
- Ruy López de SeguraRuy López de Segura was a Spanish Renaissance author and player who pioneered systematic opening study.
- SmyslovVasily Smyslov was the seventh world champion, celebrated for harmonious piece play and precise endgame technique.
- SpasskyBoris Spassky was the tenth world champion and a versatile player who excelled in very different styles.
- Sultan KhanMian Sultan Khan was a Punjabi player who reached the European elite during a remarkably brief international career.
- Susan PolgarSusan Polgar is a world champion, grandmaster, and coach who opened new competitive paths for women in chess.
- TarraschSiegbert Tarrasch was a player, physician, and writer who turned classical chess principles into an accessible system.
- TartakowerSavielly Tartakower was a Polish-French master, theorist, and writer who connected classical and hypermodern chess.
- TopalovVeselin Topalov won the 2005 FIDE world title and played in the 2006 match that reunified the championship.
- Xie JunXie Jun was Asia's first Women's World Champion and a central figure in the rise of Chinese chess.
- ZukertortJohannes Zukertort was a leading nineteenth-century player and Steinitz's opponent in the first recognized world championship.
Notable tournaments, matches, and study culture
57- Chess OlympiadThe International Chess Federation's leading national-team competition, normally held every two years with Open and Women's sections.
- World Chess ChampionshipChess's leading individual classical title, now decided through a qualification cycle that culminates in a match for the crown.
- Women's World Chess ChampionshipAn individual world title restricted to women, with its own history since 1927 and a competition cycle separate from the open championship.
- Candidates TournamentAn elite competition whose winner earns the right to challenge the World Chess Champion in the next title match.
- FIDE World CupA major individual FIDE competition that combines a title of its own with qualification places for the Candidates Tournament.
- FIDE Grand SwissAn International Chess Federation (FIDE) tournament using score-based pairings that forms part of World Championship qualification.
- Tata Steel Chess TournamentAn elite annual tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, with a tradition dating back to 1938.
- Linares International Chess TournamentA historic Spanish elite tournament held in Linares, Andalusia, which grew from a modest 1978 event into a world-class fixture.
- Zürich 1953The famous 1953 tournament in Switzerland that Vasily Smyslov won to earn the right to challenge the world champion.
- Reykjavík 1972The 1972 World Championship series in Reykjavik, where Bobby Fischer defeated reigning champion Boris Spassky by 12.5 to 8.5.
- Immortal GameThe famous 1851 game in which Adolf Anderssen defeated Lionel Kieseritzky through a spectacular attack involving enormous material sacrifices.
- Game of the CenturyThe name given to thirteen-year-old Bobby Fischer's celebrated 1956 victory over Donald Byrne in New York.
- My SystemAron Nimzowitsch's classic strategy book about restricting enemy play, blockading pawns, using open files, and understanding passed pawns and pawn chains.
- Encyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsA reference work and coding system that organizes chess openings into categories identified from A00 through E99.
- Chess InformantA chess publisher and periodical founded in Belgrade in 1966, known for selecting, annotating, and classifying high-level games.
- FIDE AlbumAn official International Chess Federation (FIDE) anthology selecting chess problems and studies deliberately constructed as compositions.
- AVRO 1938A Dutch elite tournament in which Paul Keres and Reuben Fine shared first place.
- Basic Chess EndingsReuben Fine's reference manual covering a broad range of chess endgames.
- British Chess MagazineA British monthly chess journal published continuously since 1881.
- Capablanca-Alekhine 1927The Buenos Aires world-title match in which Alexander Alekhine dethroned José Raúl Capablanca.
- Chess FundamentalsJosé Raúl Capablanca's instructional book on essential endgame, strategic, and practical principles.
- Chess LifeA US Chess magazine documenting tournaments, players, instruction, and American federation life.
- Dvoretsky's Endgame ManualMark Dvoretsky's advanced manual of essential endgame positions, methods, and decisions.
- Evergreen GameA celebrated attacking game between Adolf Anderssen and Jean Dufresne, first published in 1852.
- FIDE Grand PrixAn official tournament series that awarded Candidates places in certain world championship cycles.
- FIDE Women's Grand PrixAn official women's tournament series whose cumulative results feed the world championship cycle.
- FIDE Women's Grand SwissAn official women's Swiss-system tournament that can award places in the Women's Candidates.
- FIDE Women's World CupAn official women's knockout competition whose leading finishers can qualify for the Women's Candidates.
- Gold Coin GameA 1912 game in which Frank Marshall finished against Levitsky with a celebrated queen offer.
- Grand Chess TourAn elite international circuit combining several tournaments under one season points table.
- Hastings 1895A historic 22-player tournament won by Harry Nelson Pillsbury in his major international debut.
- Interzonal TournamentA historical world-cycle stage bringing together zonal qualifiers and sending leading finishers to the Candidates.
- Karpov-Kasparov 1984The first Karpov-Kasparov world-title match, terminated without a result after 48 games.
- Kasparov-Deep Blue 1997The six-game match in which Deep Blue defeated reigning world champion Garry Kasparov by 3.5 points to 2.5.
- Lasker's Manual of ChessEmanuel Lasker's broad treatise on fundamentals, openings, tactics, positional play, aesthetics, and model games.
- London 1851The Howard Staunton event widely regarded as the first major international chess tournament.
- Modern Chess OpeningsA long-running reference series that organizes and summarizes established chess-opening variations.
- Moscow 1925The first major international tournament held in the Soviet Union, won by Efim Bogoljubow.
- My 60 Memorable GamesBobby Fischer's 1969 collection analyzing sixty significant games from his own career.
- New In ChessAn international English-language magazine featuring annotated games, tournaments, interviews, history, and chess culture.
- New York 1924An elite double round-robin tournament won by Emanuel Lasker ahead of Capablanca and Alekhine.
- Nottingham 1936The elite event in which Capablanca and Botvinnik shared first place with 10 points from 14 games.
- Opera GameThe 1858 informal game in which Paul Morphy defeated two opponents who jointly chose Black's moves.
- Saint Petersburg 1914A two-stage elite tournament that Emanuel Lasker won by half a point over José Raúl Capablanca.
- Sinquefield CupA recurring elite classical invitational tournament held in Saint Louis, United States.
- Steinitz-Zukertort 1886The match generally recognized as the first formal world chess championship, won by Wilhelm Steinitz.
- The Oxford Companion to ChessDavid Hooper and Ken Whyld's encyclopedic reference on chess history, people, terminology, openings, and culture.
- U.S. Chess ChampionshipThe premier national tournament that determines the overall chess champion of the United States.
- USSR Chess ChampionshipThe Soviet national championship series held from 1920 to 1991 and renowned for the exceptional strength of its fields.
- USSR vs. Rest of the World 1970The ten-board team match in which the Soviet selection won 20.5-19.5 in Belgrade.
- Women's Candidates TournamentThe International Chess Federation competition that selects the challenger to the reigning Women's World Champion.
- World Blitz Chess ChampionshipThe official International Chess Federation championship that awards the world title in blitz chess.
- World Computer Chess ChampionshipAn international championship held from 1974 to 2024 in which computer chess systems competed for the world title.
- World Junior Chess ChampionshipThe International Chess Federation world championship for players who satisfy the event's under-20 age requirement.
- World Rapid Chess ChampionshipThe official International Chess Federation championship that awards the world title in rapid chess.
- World Team Chess ChampionshipAn International Chess Federation competition in which national teams contest encounters made up of several simultaneous games.
- World Youth Chess ChampionshipsThe International Chess Federation group of world championships for the under-14, under-16, and under-18 age categories.