The Welsh Chess Union ( cy, Undeb Gwyddbwyll Cymru) is the national
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
federation for
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. Formed on 19 June 1954 as a Union of Associations in
South Wales and
Monmouthshire, it was originally a part of the
British Chess Federation
The English Chess Federation (ECF) is the governing chess organisation in England. It is affiliated to FIDE. The ECF was formed in 2004 as one of the more localised successors to the British Chess Federation (BCF), an organisation founded in 1904. ...
(BCF). The Union established the
Welsh Championship
The WRU National Championship (or Admiral Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second tier of professional rugby union in Wales. The league was reformed by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in 2012.
The current National Championship champion ...
in 1955. On 15 November 1969 it withdrew from the BCF to apply for membership in the
World Chess Federation
The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( Fédération Internationale des Échecs), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national c ...
(
FIDE) as an independent body. FIDE accepted the application at the
Siegen Congress in 1970 and Wales competed in its first
Olympiad
An olympiad ( el, Ὀλυμπιάς, ''Olympiás'') is a period of four years, particularly those associated with the ancient and modern Olympic Games.
Although the ancient Olympics were established during Greece's Archaic Era, it was not unti ...
at
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and List of cities in North Macedonia by population, largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Sk ...
1972, finishing 43rd of 62.
The Union comprises five county associations or "zones":
Dyfed
Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel.
Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use f ...
br>
East Glamorganbr>
Gwent (county), Gwentbr>
West Wales
West Wales ( cy, Gorllewin Cymru) is not clearly defined as a particular region of Wales. Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheub ...
br>
and
Chester & District Chess Leaguebr>
Its objects are to promote, organise and regulate the playing of competitive
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
throughout Wales. Its moto is "Ymosodiad Dewr; Amddiffyniad Sicr" - "Bold in Attack; In Defence Secure".
The President of the Union in 2014-19 was Bill Harle and the Executive Director is Mark Adams.
References
*
External links
*
{{National members of the World Chess Federation
National members of the European Chess Union, Wales
Chess in Wales
Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
1954 establishments in Wales
Sports organizations established in 1954
Chess organizations
1954 in chess