Brazilian Chess Confederation

♟️ About Brazilian Chess Confederation (CBX)

The Brazilian Chess Confederation, officially Confederação Brasileira de Xadrez (CBX), is the national governing body for chess in Brazil and the country’s member federation within FIDE. The organization was founded on November 6, 1924, under the original name Federação Brasileira de Xadrez. More than a century later, CBX coordinates a nationwide chess structure that connects state federations, tournament organizers, arbiters, trainers, clubs, schools, and players throughout Brazil. CBX is responsible for the administration and development of competitive chess at national level. Its work includes official championships, tournament registration, CBX and FIDE rating procedures, player and arbiter records, organizer accreditation, national regulations, international entries, and Brazilian team selection. The confederation also maintains extensive online databases where players can search tournaments, ratings, organizers, arbiters, instructors, and trainers. The current President is Máximo Igor Macedo, who has led CBX since 2021 and was re-elected for the 2025–2028 term. The current board also includes Ivanildo Melo as Vice President for Finance, Kaiser Mafra as Technical Vice President, Maice Macedo as Administrative Vice President, César Viegas for International Relations, and Marco Asfora for Internal Relations. Regional directors represent Brazil’s five major geographic regions, providing an organizational link between national administration and chess activity across the country.

🏆 National Championships & Tournament Circuit

CBX oversees an extensive program of official Brazilian championships in classical, rapid, and blitz chess. Major competitions include the Campeonato Brasileiro Absoluto, Campeonato Brasileiro Feminino, Brazilian Rapid and Blitz Championships, amateur championships, senior events, regional championships, team competitions, and several national youth festivals. Another important part of the national structure is the Circuito Nacional de Abertos do Brasil. These tournaments take place across many Brazilian states and provide regular opportunities for players to compete in officially rated classical events. The circuit has expanded considerably in recent years. In 2024, CBX reported a record 32 national circuit stages, while the 2026 calendar continued to spread competitions across all five regions of Brazil. CBX also registers a large number of independently organized tournaments for national and international rating. Approved organizers work within CBX procedures for tournament registration, arbiter appointments, reporting, rating submission, and title requirements. Consequently, the federation provides the technical framework connecting local tournaments with the Brazilian rating system and, where applicable, FIDE. The confederation directly promotes major national events as well. The Campeonato Brasileiro de Xadrez Rápido & Blitz 2026 in Fortaleza, for example, is promoted by CBX and jointly organized with the Federação Cearense de Xadrez. The event combines Brazil’s national Rapid and Blitz championships and illustrates the federation’s continuing cooperation with state chess bodies.

🌱 Junior Chess, Education & Development

Youth chess forms a major part of the CBX competition structure. The federation organizes the Festival Nacional da Criança (FENAC) and Festival Nacional da Juventude (FENAJ) across multiple age categories. These championships are contested in classical, rapid, and blitz formats and form part of the pathway toward South American, Pan-American, and World Youth competition. CBX also coordinates Brazilian participation in international youth championships. Players selected for FIDE World Youth, World Junior, South American, and Pan-American competitions complete their federation procedures through CBX. Therefore, the confederation acts as the formal connection between promising Brazilian juniors and official international competition. Development also extends to coaches, arbiters, instructors, and organizers. CBX runs or approves seminars and educational programs covering FIDE Laws of Chess, pairing systems, rating regulations, tournament rules, fair play, arbiter duties, and event administration. In 2026, the federation organized another official FIDE Arbiter Seminar while continuing broader professional-development programs for the Brazilian chess community. The federation has also placed increasing emphasis on inclusion. Its national calendar covers amateur, senior, school, women’s, and disability chess. In 2026, Brazil fielded a team at the 3rd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities, representing another step in integrating players with disabilities into the country’s international chess program.

🌍 International Representation

CBX represents Brazil within FIDE and manages official Brazilian participation in major international championships. This includes the Chess Olympiad, World Youth and Junior Championships, continental events, senior competitions, and other tournaments in which entries must be submitted through the national federation. At the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 in Samarkand, CBX coordinated Brazil’s Open and Women’s national teams. The Open squad included Alexandr Fier, Luís Supi, Diego Di Berardino, Roberto Molina, and Andre Diamant, while the Women’s team included Juliana Terao, Kathiê Librelato, Julia Alboredo, Agatha Hurba, and Clara Dias. Rafael Leitão served as coach of the national teams. Brazil also made its first in-person appearance at the FIDE Olympiad for People with Disabilities in 2026. Alongside elite national teams, CBX manages entries and administrative procedures for juniors, seniors, amateurs, and other Brazilian representatives competing abroad. Consequently, international representation forms an important part of the federation’s year-round work.

📚 History & Development

CBX was founded on November 6, 1924, making it one of Brazil’s long-established national sports organizations. The federation marked its centenary in 2024, when the Brazilian Absolute Championship formed part of the celebrations of 100 years of organized national chess administration. Over the decades, the organization developed from the former Federação Brasileira de Xadrez into the modern Confederação Brasileira de Xadrez. Its responsibilities expanded alongside the growth of competitive chess, while state federations became the principal regional partners within the Brazilian system. Today, CBX combines traditional national championships with large tournament circuits, youth development, international representation, digital player and tournament databases, arbiter education, and FIDE-rated competition. Its national structure allows chess activity in individual cities and states to connect with Brazilian championships and the wider international chess system.