Chess has been included in the programme for the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijani Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov announced, according to Trend.az.
“Despite chess not being an Olympic sport, the European Commission made a special decision to include chess and karate in the list of sports to be presented at these games, the minister said.”
As Chessdom.com reported more than a year ago, there was a great probability that chess might be selected as one of two non-Olympic sports.
FIDE Events Commission Secretary Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou said then that “(There is)…good chance for chess to enter the Olympic Games in coming years.”
Chess is one of the most popular sports in the host country Azerbaijan, winner of two European Team Championships.
Azerbaijan will also host the World Chess Olympiad in 2016.