Executive Summary

Chess is arguably one of the oldest and most popular mental sports in the world. It is an established part of our modern culture, and it is perceived as being desirable to learn how to play chess and show levels of mastery and skill improvement.  The impact of information technology on chess must be acknowledged as highly positive with a resulting higher proliferation of chess information, awareness and playing opportunities globally.

Chess is undoubtedly a sport for everybody and through international and national training programmes, for all levels, we will continue to see more players participating and at the same time this will bring with it benefits to both professional and amateur levels.

The common philosophy of the chess ‘world’ must be to embrace the popularisation and accessibility of chess and help promote the sport through a unified and proficient front.  Ongoing efforts are needed to continue to improve the quality and integrity of the various chess tournaments, programs, regulations, ratings, titles and public relations.

The strategic plan is a public statement of the E.C.U.’s shared vision, mission, values, objectives and directions. The key functions of the Plan are to:

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  • signal the directions and priorities of the E.C.U. to its stakeholders and identify strategies for meeting these;
  • set critical result areas that link to the performance indicators against which the E.C.U. reports to the Board, General Assembly and Member Federations;
  • identify areas in need of particular attention to ensure continued success; and
  • guide internal management and operational planning activities, including:
  • setting priorities;
  • allocating resources;
  • monitoring performance and reporting processes; and
  • maintaining accountability.

Winning is a habit, Success is a choice