The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will continue their dialogue on the inclusion of chess in the Olympic programme. As stated by Ilyumzhinov, the leaders of the Chess Federations of 140 countries are the members of the National Olympic Committees. «In fact, chess played an active role in the Olympic movement for a long time. Chess was included in the Pan-Asian, Pan-African and Pan American Continental Olympic Games. Therefore, a several dozen of the National Olympic Committees asked Thomas Bach to include chess in the big Winter Olympic Games».
On 22nd of June, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov paid a working visit to Lausanne, Switzerland where he held talks with the head of the IOC.
Together with Ilyumzhinov, who led the FIDE delegation, the Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos, the Treasurer Adrian Siegel, the CEO Geoffrey Borg, the President Assistant Berik Balgabaev and the former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik participated in the talks.
The IOC side was represented by Thomas Bach, the IOC CEO Christophe de Kepper, the IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell and the IOC Deputy Director General Pere Miro.
