Welcome to the official IBCA website

FIDE (Federation internationale des échecs) is the supreme body for chess amongst the sighted. Similarly, the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA) is the supreme body of chess for the blind and visually impaired and is in turn affiliated to FIDE.

Braile Chess at International Purple Fest

8–13 of January All India chess federation for the Blind (AICFB) organized an international tournament that took place at the Purple Fest in Goa. The Purple Fest is an event that highlights that impaired persons can achieve far more than often is expected. The fest includes different sports activities and exhibitions, for instance regarding education for persons with different impairments. Read More

2023 IBCA Congress Election Results

Dear IBCA Member Countries, Dear IBCA Officials

The IBCA Congress was held in the Rodos Hotel Palace, Island of Rhodes, Greece, on Sunday, October 15, 2023 , the following Executive Board was elected. Read More

Ukraine Relief 2023

As early as March 2022, the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA) unequivocally condemned the Russian Federation’s unjustified war on Ukraine and took
strong actions against participation of Russian athletes and officials. Read More

Online Chess Tournaments for Visually Impaired

Disclaimer : The table below informs about online chess tournaments for visually impaired chess players. They are not run by IBCA, but are important for many of our players.

Name Organizer/List Owner Contact Mailing list Website Platform Description
Braille Chess Band Arena
Orhan Yeter
Lichess
Every Saturday at 17:00 UTC
Chess Queens
Marilyn Bland
https://ajedrezclasico64.blogspot.com
Skype, Lichess
Swiss tournaments for women
Dama y Rey
Mario Montalvo
https://ajedrezclasico64.blogspot.com
Lichess
Swiss tournament
Dark Squares
Curtis Cockayne
Email, Skype, Lichess
Email, Swiss, Round Robin, classical and rapid
La Scalata
Massimo Maccaferri
https://www.lascalata.net
Skype
Ladder tournaments
Saturday Golden Moves Arena
Mario Montalvo
Lichess
Every Saturday at 22:00 UTC
skype_chess
Mahendra Galani
Skype, Lichess
Swiss and round robin tournaments, classical and blindfold
Tournoi francophone
Sindy Gagnon
http://www.open-aurec.com/Skype/index_en.htm
Skype, Lichess
Swiss and round robin tournaments in French
TournoiSkype
Olivier Deville
http://www.open-aurec.com/Skype/index_en.htm
Skype, Lichess
Swiss tournaments
World Chess Parlor
Johannes Grib
World Chess Parlor
Skype, Lichess
Swiss and round robin tournaments, classical and chess960
How Visually Impaired Play Chess ?

 

The Chess Board of 64 squares has the following modifications:

  • All the Black squares are raised about 3-4 mm above the white squares. By feeling the squares, the player is able to determine whether the square is a black or a white one.
  • Each of the squares on the Board has a hole in the centre so that the pieces can be fixed in these holes.
  • Each of the pieces has a downward projection (nail) at the base, which fits into the hole in the squares on the Board, thereby fixing the piece securely on the board.
2023 IBCA European Team Chess Championship Closing Ceremony Highlights, Genova Italy (Copyright (C) Fabio Rosetto)
Poland wins IX IBCA World Team Chess Championship
Top Teams
  1. Olympiad Champion Russia
  2. Poland
  3. Serbia
Top Individual Players
  1. World Champion Nikac Predrag, Montenegro
  2. Alexey Smirnov, Russia
  3. GM Marcin Tazbir, Poland
Top Women Players
  1. World Champion WIM Lubov Zsiltzova-Lisenko, Ukraine
  2. FM Teresa Debowska, Poland
  3. WCM Anna Stolarczyk, Poland
Top Junior Players
  1. World Champion Adam Czajkowski, Poland
  2. Soundarya Kuma Pradhan , India
  3. CM Mirko Eichstadt, Germany
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