it.com Domains to power FIDE and World Chess .chess bid

it.com Domains will provide the technical registry infrastructure for FIDE and World Chess’s .chess application in ICANN’s 2026 new gTLD round. If approved, the domain would give the global chess community a dedicated online namespace and a clearer digital identity.

Why it matters: - A successful .chess launch could give chess players, clubs, federations, organizers, platforms and media a dedicated internet namespace tied directly to the game. - The domain could make chess-related sites easier to recognize and help users instantly identify official or relevant chess services. - FIDE and World Chess are pitching .chess as digital territory for a community estimated at more than 600 million people.

What happened: - it.com Domains said it is providing the technical registry infrastructure for the .chess domain application submitted by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and World Chess. - The application is part of ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD program. - The announcement was made in London on Sept. 2, 2026. - FIDE and World Chess will remain responsible for the vision, policies and commercial model for .chess. - it.com Domains would run the registry technology if the application is approved.

The details: - it.com Domains has completed ICANN’s Main Registry Service Provider evaluation for the 2026 round and is listed on ICANN’s official roster of evaluated RSPs. - The company’s platform covers domain registration, lifecycle management, registrar connections and registration-data services. - DNS and DNSSEC services come through it.com Domains’ partnership with Swedish internet infrastructure operator Netnod. - The .chess application is intended to develop registration policies and launch rules as it moves through the ICANN process. - Approval is not guaranteed, and ICANN’s review process is rigorous, World Chess CEO Ilya Merenzon said.

Between the lines: - The deal extends an existing relationship between it.com Domains and World Chess, which have worked together on earlier projects. - Their most recent collaboration was Hans Niemann vs. You, an AI-powered interactive match at Web Summit in Lisbon in November 2024. - That project drew 106,638 participants from 132 countries. - The .chess bid also shows how niche communities are using new gTLD applications to build branded digital spaces instead of relying only on generic web addresses. - it.com Domains is positioning itself as the technical back end for organizations that want a dedicated namespace without building registry infrastructure from scratch.

What's next: - ICANN’s Reveal Day is expected no later than nine weeks after the application window closes, roughly in mid-October 2026. - If .chess advances, FIDE, World Chess and it.com Domains will move through ICANN evaluation, contracting, technical onboarding and testing. - Only after those steps would the .chess namespace be ready for launch.