Founded in 1992

The history of the IPCA (1992 – 2018)

IPCA (International Physically Disabled Chess Association) is the international federation which unites the physically disabled chess players. The members of the IPCA are the physically disabled chess players, who have got a congenital or an acquired considerably reduced efficiency of the musculoskeletal system and who have got difficulties in walking. Currently to the IPCA belong the National Chess Federations for disabled chess players and the individual chess players with physical disability from over 20 countries of the world. The IPCA was founded in June 1992 on the initiative of the physically disabled chess players: Mr. Jiri Ulmann from Czech Republic and Bieluczyk brothers, Bogdan and Tadeus from Poland. The IPCA was registered in Ostrava in Czech Republic.

In this year we celebrated the 26th anniversary of inception of our organization. The first President of the IPCA, Mr. Jiri Ulmann performed his function until 2002. Then Mr. Jiri Ulmann performed the function of the IPCA Honorary President until his death in January 2011. The second President of the IPCA, Mr. Tadeus Bieluczyk performed this function until his death in November 2005. The next, the function of the IPCA President was performed by the 1st Vice-President Mr. Bogdan Bieluczyk, who performed this function until his death in November 2008. Since the 1st July 2010 till the 30th June 2018 the duties of the IPCA President performed Mr. Zbigniew Pilimon from Poland.

Currently, since July 2018 the IPCA President is Mrs. Svetlana Gerasimova from Russia who was the 1st IPCA Vice-President since July 2011 and Mr. Zbigniew Pilimon is the IPCA Honorary President. Besides in the IPCA are two Vice-Presidents and General Secretary: the 1st IPCA Vice-President is Mr. Andrei Gurbanov from Israel who performs this function since July 2018 and the 2nd IPCA Vice-President, Mr. Kanickai Irudayaraj Gnanamuthu from India and the IPCA General Secretary GM Sinisa Drazic perform their functions since September 2014.

Since 1996 the IPCA Federation is affiliated to the FIDE, on equal rights with the National Chess Federations. Thanks the creation of the IPCA, the physically disabled chess players have opportunity to participate in the FIDE World Chess Olympiads. The IPCA teams of men and women take part in the FIDE Chess Olympiads since 2002: Bled 2002 in Slovenia, Calvia 2004 in Spain, Turin 2006 in Italy, Dresden 2008 in Germany, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 in Russia, Istanbul 2012 in Turkey, Tromso 2014 in Norway and Baku 2016 in Azerbaijan.

The main task of the IPCA is to organize of chess tournaments for physically disabled chess players (for men, women and youth) who are the IPCA members. Until time creation of the IPCA many physically disabled chess players couldn’t participate in tournaments of high rank together with quite healthy players. In the 26-year history of the IPCA there were organized many chess tournaments of high rank, such as the IPCA World Chess Olympiads, the IPCA Europe Individual Chess Championships and the IPCA World Individual Chess Championships. Until now the IPCA tournaments took place in Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia and Serbia. In June 2018 there was organized already the 18th IPCA World Individual Chess Championship 2018, which was take place in Prague, Czech Republic. The right of organizing of the 19th IPCA WICC 2019 received the Slovakia which will take place in Ruzomberok.

The IPCA Presidents (since founding in 1992 year)

• № Name and Surname (Country) President of IPCA (years)
• 1. Jiri Ulmann (CZE) 1st President of IPCA (1992 – 2002)
• 2. Tadeus Bieluczyk (POL) 2nd President of IPCA (2002 – 2005)
• 3. Bogdan Bieluczyk (POL) 3rd President of IPCA (2005 – 2008)
• 4. Zbigniew Pilimon (POL) 4th President of IPCA (since July 2010)
• 5. Svetlana Gerasimova (RUS) 5th President of IPCA (since July 2018)

Poland / Bialystok, 1st July 2018

IPCA Honorary President

Zbigniew Pilimon