Chess Olympiad

Chess Olympiads are chess events open to all national teams. They have been run since 1927 by the world chess organisation, FIDE. Since 1950, they have been run every two years. Earlier events were all-play-all. Then, as numbers grew, a system of qualifying sections were used. In recent times, the format has been a Swiss system. This, in chess terms, is a method whereby opponents are chosen each round to have similar scores. It has been widely used for individual tournaments. 
Recognised sport.
Chess is a recognized sport by the International Olympic Committee with FIDE being the recognized International Sports Federation for chess since June 1999.
As a member of the International Olympic Committee, FIDE adheres to its rules, including controversially having doping tests. The prospects of chess becoming an Olympic sporting event at some future date remain unclear. The naming of FIDE's team championship as the "Chess Olympiad" is of historical origin and implies no connection between this event and the Olympic Games.
The next Chess Olympiad will be held in 2014 in Norway.