The Amateur Athletic Union will add chess as a new sport in its programs, including the Junior Olympic Games. Matt Thomas, the first American chessboxing world champion, will lead the effort.
The AAU announced the move to expand its offerings across dozens of sports. Jo Mirza, the organization's president, said Thomas's expertise and love for the sport will lay the foundation to grow AAU Chess around the country and globally.
The AAU, founded in 1888, runs the Junior Olympic Games each year. The event is the largest multi-sport competition for youth in the United States and can draw up to 19,000 competitors.
Thomas stated that chess changes lives and that he is honored to solidify chess as the newest sport offering while providing a new international competition for young players.
The AAU's first chess initiative was sponsoring the Naroditsky Memorial Rapid and Blitz Tournament earlier this month. FM Peter Giannatos, president of the Charlotte Chess Center, welcomed the addition to the broader chess community.