Application is the first known for .chess.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) together with World Chess (LSE: CHSS), which serves as FIDE’s official commercial partner, have announced a formal application for the top-level domain (TLD) .chess. This move represents an effort to secure a dedicated online namespace for the global chess community, encompassing federations, clubs, academies, event organizers, digital platforms, media outlets and individual players.
The organizations submitted the application under a community applicant model. Community applications are intended to prioritize applicants that represent a clearly defined community and can demonstrate support from that community. If another party applies for the same string, the community applicant status can be a significant advantage in the evaluation process. As of the announcement, no other applicants for the .chess string have been publicly disclosed.
Should the application succeed, IT.com domains has been named as the Registry Service Provider for the .chess TLD. The Registry Service Provider will be responsible for the technical operations and maintenance of the TLD’s infrastructure, helping ensure domain stability, security and reliable DNS services for registrants.
FIDE and World Chess outlined a vision for how the .chess domain would be used. They expect national federations to adopt domains that reflect their official presence, and for clubs and academies to use the space for membership information, coaching resources and local event listings. Organizers could host tournament pages and live event feeds on .chess addresses, while media organizations and streaming platforms could centralize chess-focused reporting and broadcasts. Individual players and coaches might also elect to use .chess domains for personal branding, contact information and portfolios.
Under the proposed structure, FIDE would serve as the institutional sponsor for the new TLD. As sponsor, FIDE would receive a portion of the revenues generated by domain registrations and related services. World Chess has stated it will manage the application process, finance the project and operate the extension if the application is approved, handling the business and operational responsibilities associated with launching and running the domain.
The landscape of sports-themed top-level domains already includes several sport-specific strings. Examples such as .football, .soccer, .basketball and .hockey have been introduced in recent years. These sport-oriented TLDs have attracted varying levels of interest, typically registering fewer than 10,000 domains each. The chess community’s move to secure .chess follows this broader trend of niche and interest-based TLDs intended to create focused online ecosystems.
One notable example from the sports domain space is Major League Baseball’s control of .baseball. While MLB holds that string, no significant publicized developments or widespread uses have emerged to date. The experience of existing sports TLDs highlights both the potential benefits and the challenges of building adoption: a dedicated domain can strengthen identity and discoverability, but realizing those benefits depends on broad community engagement and effective promotion.
The application by FIDE and World Chess aims to create a unified and recognizable web presence for chess worldwide. If approved, .chess could offer an adaptable online platform that supports official governance, local organizations, professional events, educational programs and individual participants. The announcement marks the first publicly known bid for the .chess domain, signaling an intent to consolidate digital activity related to chess under a single, identifiable web extension.