World Chess and the Algorand Foundation have proposed a blockchain-based system to establish secure, verifiable credentials for global sports organizations, with a primary focus on chess. This initiative comes amid surging chess popularity driven by streaming shows and the recent crowning of the youngest world chess champion.

The proposed system would create a "global chess passport" allowing players to:

• Manage their identity across all chess platforms with a single decentralized ID
• Transfer achievements, rankings, and records seamlessly between online and in-person events
• Prove identity and credentials without sharing sensitive documents
• Streamline tournament registration processes

Key benefits of the system include:

• Enhanced Fair Play Protection

  • Prevents AI program usage
  • Blocks banned players from competing
  • Stops player impersonation
  • Ensures legitimate tournament payouts

• Improved Tournament Management

  • Faster player verification
  • Easier registration process
  • Better integration of online and offline players
  • Simplified credential verification

The system's potential impact extends beyond chess, offering a blueprint for fair play and achievement verification across all sports and esports. With the esports market projected to reach $4.8 billion by 2025 and nearly 900 million players by 2029, this solution addresses growing needs for cross-platform registration and credential verification.

This initiative represents a significant step toward standardizing player identification and credential verification in competitive gaming, while maintaining privacy and security through blockchain technology.

Organizations interested in participating in this open-source project can contact the Algorand Foundation's engineering team for more information about implementation and collaboration opportunities.

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