Handbook ::  D. Regulations for Specific Competitions

01. World Championship General Provision

The World Championship Cycle consists of the following events:
  1. National Championships which are the responsibility of the member-federations of FIDE. The national federations retain all rights in their internal competitions.
  2. Zonal Tournaments which can be organized by the Continents according to their regulations which have to be approved by the FIDE Presidential Board.
  3. Continental Chess Championships: The Continents, through their respective Boards and in co-operation with FIDE, shall organise Continental Chess Championships.  The regulations for these events have to be approved by the FIDE Presidential Board if they are part of the qualification system of the World Chess Championship cycle. The Chief Arbiter and the Appeals Committee of Continental Championships are nominated by the FIDE President.
  4. FIDE World Cup: organized in accordance with the published regulations on the FIDE website (link).
  5. FIDE Grand-Prix: organized in accordance with the published regulations on the FIDE website (link).
  6. FIDE Candidates Tournament: organized in accordance with the published regulations on the FIDE website (link).
  7. FIDE World Championship Match: organized in accordance with the published regulations on the FIDE website (link). 

Upon recommendation by the World Championship & Olympiads Commission (WCOC), the body responsible for any changes to the regulations of the World Championship Cycle events is the FIDE Presidential Board.

TABLE OF ZONAL DIVISIONS

Zone 1.1 (10)

Zone 1.1a
England
Scotland
Wales         
Ireland
Zone 1.1b
Belgium
France
Netherlands
Zone 1.1c
Italy
Portugal
Spain
6M 2W


Zone 1.2 (8)

Zone 1.2a
Austria
Germany
Slovenia
Switzerland
Zone 1.2b
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
Israel
North Macedonia
7M 2W


Zone 1.3 (5)

Denmark
Finland
Iceland
Norway
Sweden
3M 1W


Zone 1.4 (6)

Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Hungary
Poland
Romania
4M 4W


Zone 1.5 (7)

Zone 1.5a
Albania
Greece
Montenegro
Serbia
Turkey
Zone 1.5b
Armenia
Georgia
4M 7W


Zone 1.6 (1)

Russia
5M 4W


Zone 1.7 (3)

Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
3M 2W


Zone 1.8 (3)

Azerbaijan
Belarus
Moldova
2M 2W



Zone 1.9 (1)

Ukraine
3M 3W


Zone 1.10 (10)

Andorra
Cyprus
Faroe Islands
Guernsey
Jersey
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
San Marino

Zone 2.1 (1)

USA
5M 2W


Zone 2.2 (1)

Canada
1M 1W


Zone 2.3 (26)

Zone 2.3.1
Mexico
Zone 2.3.2
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Zone 2.3.3
Cuba
Zone 2.3.4
Colombia
Zone 2.3.5
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Dominican Republic
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Ned. Antilles
Puerto Rico
Saint Lucia
Surinam
Trinidad & Tobago
U.S. Virgin Islands
Venezuela
2M 1W


Zone 2.4 (4)

Bolivia
Brazil
Ecuador
Peru
2M 1W


Zone 2.5 (4)

Argentina
Chile
Paraguay
Uruguay
2M 1W


Zone 3.1 (13)

Bahrain
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
United Arab Emts.
Yemen Republic
1M 1W


Zone 3.2 (6)

Bangladesh
Bhutan
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
1M 1W


Zone 3.3 (17)

Brunei
Cambodia
Chinese Taipei
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Laos
Macau
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Vietnam
2M 1W

Zone 3.4 (6)

Afghanistan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
2M 1W


Zone 3.5 (1)

China
2M 4W


Zone 3.6 (8)

Australia
Fiji
Guam
Nauru
New Zealand
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
1M 1W


Zone 3.7 (1)

India
1M 1W


Zone 4.1 (8)

Algeria
Djibouti
Libya
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Senegal
Tunisia
1M 1W


Zone 4.2 (12)

Burundi
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Kenya
Rwanda
Seychelles
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
1M 1W


Zone 4.3 (14)

Angola
Botswana
Comores
D. R. Congo
Eswatini
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
South Africa
Zambia
Zimbabwe
1M 1W


Zone 4.4 (14)

Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Liberia
Nigeria
Sao Tome and Principe
Sierra Leone
Togo


Total: 190
M = Men`s places
W = Women`s places

In all FIDE competitions the traditional term "FIDE rating" or "rating" of a player means the classical rating, coming from the original rating list which FIDE is publishing since 1971. For blitz, rapid or online competitions the tournament invitation (or the tournament regulations) should clarify the terms "FIDE blitz rating", "FIDE rapid rating" or the according "FIDE online rating", naming them as such to avoid confusion.

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