GENS UNA SUMUS… one family?

All international organizations have tremendous challenges. One can look no further than the United Nations and their ongoing challenges of mediating conflict around the world. While FIDE is not an organization that is designed to resolve conflict, it has had a share of its own to deal with. It’s motto, “GENS UNA SUMUS” champions the oneness of the community, but the execution of this ideal has been quite challenging.

Despite the FIDE motto, there are notions that the organization is over-centralized with President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov bankrolling much of FIDE’s activities. There is also the notion that FIDE is overly Eurocentric. Notswithstanding, there have been some good developments in the chess community… a unified crown, the eminent rise of Asia and a well-attended Olympiad.

The latter accomplishment initally broke attendance records, but the event was not without controversy. FIDE and the organizing committee made changes at the Olympiad that they felt would provide a better professional image to the outside world. The problem were evident as controversy brewed in several rounds. In an upcoming essay, I will discuss some of my observations in Dresden as it relates to FIDE achieving the aim of its motto.