And why it might finally fix the fragmented experience every player knows too well
This week we – along with our partners at World Chess, operators of the FIDE Online Arena – announced a novel proposal for utilizing blockchain-based decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials (VC) in the world of chess. DIDs are a match made in heaven for the vast online/offline chess ecosystem – and, we believe, for any number of other similar gaming communities. Check out the whitepaper for full details of our envisioned system.
This project brings together several Web3-related ideas and technologies, such as self-sovereign identity, blockchain, distributed ledgers, and high availability storage. I’m excited to tell you more about what it enables for not only chess players, but also for chess clubs, platforms, and organizing bodies.
It’s been an honor for me to collaborate up to this point with the World Chess team, and with chess grandmaster Evgenij Miroshnichenko; their collective insights on how today’s chess systems work and critical pain points, as well as their feedback on the proposed system designs, are of course invaluable. The system we propose is currently in development on a small scale to test its feasibility, and we actively welcome additional contributions and feedback as we continue to refine the solution.
The problem: a fractured chess ecosystem
The current chess ecosystem is fragmented. You’ve got online platforms like FIDE Online Arena, Chess.com, Lichess, and others, and then you've got your local clubs, national federations, and big over-the-board tournaments. Every one of them requires a separate login, a separate identity, and none of them talk to each other.
You build your reputation on one online platform, only to have to prove yourself again on another, or during in-person events. Your accomplishments, your ratings, even your reputation — none of it carries over. And while that might be a mild annoyance to casual players, for many it creates a serious problem. Some of the real issues players and entities have reported encountering:
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- Impersonation – users playing under another’s alias, in both online and offline scenarios.
- Phishing attempts – in one instance, the World Chess team reported getting an email “from a player” asking for their tournament winnings to be sent to a different bank account. The team knew the player and was able to quickly confirm it as a phishing attempt, but it’s easy to imagine this problem at scale.
- Arduous tournament registration processes – Registering for major open tournaments today often takes several hours or more. This is due not only to the sheer number of players, but also to the need for verifying various ID documents (like driver’s licenses, passports, etc.) These documents are issued by different authorities, in different languages, with varying levels of security features and distinct transliteration rules. A universal chess identity standard would streamline the tournament registration process for both players and organizers, distilling it down as close to “one-click registration” as possible.
- Fallible cheat detection and a lack of cross-platform reputation – Humans still make the vast majority of decisions regarding suspicious gameplay, sometimes leading to players getting penalized or banned. While the universal chess passport would not remove the need for human evaluation of suspicious scenarios, it would enable entities to issue VCs about the player (such as validating their good standing or levels of achievement) which would help others make more informed decisions in the future, should questions be raised.
- Inability to move between platforms at an acquired skill level – Many chess platforms offer paywall-gated content. I.e., become a member of platform A, get access to exclusive content, AMAs, education, etc. In the world we present, platforms could begin offering “rating-gated” content, attracting players with a certain skill level to their offerings, regardless of the platform on which the player had originally acquired their rating. Platforms more easily attract higher-skilled players; players can move seamlessly between platforms without needing to start from scratch and build up a rating.
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Many of these problems, including impersonation and arduous registration/identity verification processes, are also heightened for junior players. In some countries, children do not have access to photo IDs until a relatively late age, often long after they have started competing in tournaments.
In a world increasingly plagued by cheating scandals, smurf accounts, phishing attempts, and an overall lack of trust, these issues become more than inconvenient—they pose a real risk.
Decentralized identity: the missing piece
Our proposed solution uses decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials (VCs) to create a universal, portable identity for chess players. With this, users can have one secure digital identity that they can carry across platforms, both online and in-person. The solution acts like a decentralized reputation system, one that works because it’s built on open standards and cryptographic truth—not hearsay or screenshots.
And unlike platform-controlled profiles, the user’s DID isn’t controlled by any single entity, it’s controlled by and in full ownership of the user. The user decides who gets to see their credentials/rating/reputation/etc. That means, for example, they can choose to share their verified title or ranking with a tournament organizer, while keeping other personal information private.
Both DIDs and VCs already exist with proven designs for implementation across multiple industries. Utilizing recognized standards and techniques (created and/or validated by groups like the Decentralized Identity Foundation, OpenWallet Foundation, and others) unlocks interoperability for future use cases. It also means that entities participating in the system are not reliant on any one specific technological stack.
Our proposal simply takes these existing technologies and applies them to the chess ecosystem, envisioning a system that brings efficiency and interconnectedness to chess platforms and governing organizations, and creates a seamless, empowered experience for chess players.
In plain terms, here is how the universal chess passport works:
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- Your DID, anchored on blockchain, is like your universal chess passport.
- Your VCs–issued by chess clubs, platforms, entities, etc. and linked to your DID–are like verified documents proving your rating, titles, achievements, or even good conduct.
- These are stored in your own wallet, not owned by any platform.
- You could connect your wallet to any platform or tournament, and instantly prove who you are, what you’ve done, and what level you play at.
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Watch this short video for a sense of the solution in action:
The big picture
Chess has always been a proving ground for big ideas—from Deep Blue to AlphaZero. This system could be another one of those watershed moments. It’s not just a tech upgrade; it’s a rethinking of how identity and trust should work in a global, and increasingly digital-first, sport.
Built on blockchain with the secure and privacy-respecting principles of decentralized identity, the universal chess passport would let users prove their identities and ratings, redeem rewards, register instantly and easily, and even maintain a verified reputation across platforms—without giving up control of their data.
Not only does this system solve a bunch of my own daily frustrations as a player, but it represents a massive step forward for the chess world as a whole. More fairness, more trust, more freedom to just play.
If it works here, it could inspire similar systems across esports, education, and beyond. Chess just happens to be the perfect testing ground—global, data-driven, and already deeply intertwined with technology.
Get involved
The proposed “universal chess passport” system is currently in development on a small scale to test its feasibility.
We invite chess platforms, organizations, and players to collaborate in its further development. Reach out to engineering@algorand.foundation to express interest in getting involved.
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