More than 20 years after obtaining ministerial approval (Chess recognized as a sport), the French Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, granted French Chess Federation (Fédération Française des Échecs or FFE) the “delegation” status in accordance with the Sports Code.
The delegation contract, signed by Jean-Michel Blanquer, French Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports and GM Éloi Relange, the President of FFE, on March 15, is a huge step forward in the recognition of chess as a sport discipline. The partnership between FFE and French State is deeply strengthened and the range of possibilities widened.
From the legal point of view, this status means that newly delegated FFE receives prerogatives of public power: it is the only one authorized in the name of the State to enact the regulations of the competitions, to establish the selections of the French team, or to deliver the titles of national, regional, departmental champions.
“We will benefit from increased support from our supervisory Ministry, which will provide us with Sports Technical Advisers. They will reinforce the team of employees in order to carry out all the projects of the term of office: professional chess players, training, increasing the participation of women, or even school development with in particular the Chess’Class project launched in partnership with the Ministry, the UNSS (national school sports union), l’USEP (school sports federation of the French primary school), l’Échiquier de la Réussite et le Crédit Mutuel Enseignant, on which I will have the opportunity to talk again soon,” reads the joint statement by the French Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports and FFE.
The delegation status is also placing chess among the recognized high-level disciplines. From now on all the competitions, projects and achievements will be registered on a ministerial list which gives the right to a real status: adaptation for school time or work contracts for sports practice, social coverage by the State for accidents, facilities for registration for exams and competitions, support for professional retraining after career.
This recognition is the fruit of long-standing work, started under the mandate of Jean-Claude Moingt, during which two applications were filed. FFE had to build ambitious and coherent framework documents in order to earn the confidence of the Ministry of Sports.
“I would like to thank all the people, employees and elected officials, who worked discreetly and efficiently for several months to put together our file, particularly Mathilde Choisy, Didier Pascal, Yves Marek and Bertrand Guyard,” said Mr Relange.
The “delegation” comes with obligations for FFE, in line with the project that it has been carrying out for several years. The performance plan aims to consolidate a place among the top-5 chess nations, and to win a medal at the Olympiads by 2028. The contract also includes strong requirements of the democratic functioning and transparency of governance.
In conclusion, Mr Éloi Relange expressed his gratitude to all involved: “Our federation is now entering a new dimension… This historic step forward for our Chess Sport is a collective success. For so many years, our discipline has been supported by all its volunteers. I am happy and proud that we have been able to make all these efforts come true, and I am particularly grateful to you.”
