Chess Federation of Canada

The Chess Federation of Canada (CFC) is the national governing body for chess in Canada, and one of the oldest chess organizations in the Western Hemisphere. Originally founded in 1872 as the Canadian Chess Association, it was renamed in 1945 and has been headquartered in Burlington, Ontario for decades.

The CFC maintains around 5,400 members and oversees the national rating system, Canadian Championships, Canadian Open, Canadian Women's Championship, and Junior Championships. The organization also selects and sends teams to compete at the biennial Chess Olympiad and other international events under the FIDE banner.

The Canadian Open, first held in Montreal in 1956, is one of the federation's flagship events. That inaugural edition famously featured a young Bobby Fischer. Over the years, the tournament has attracted legends like Boris Spassky, Paul Keres, and Vasily Ivanchuk. The event typically takes place each July and became part of the ACP Tour in 2007.

Canada has produced notable chess talent including GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, who holds the highest peak rating among Canadian players. The CFC published the print magazine Chess Canada from 1974 to 2008, which has since moved online. Under President Vlad Drkulec and Executive Director Robert Gillanders, the federation continues working to grow the game across all provinces and territories.