Steven Bellens | 2025 | 🚀 Candidacy President RBCF

Together towards a federation that connects, makes visible, and supports.

From my current role as national rating officer and vice-chairman, I have come to know the workings of our federation closely. With this experience, I want to commit myself as chairman to build a federation that connects, makes visible, and supports.

My core vision for the coming years:

• Connect 🤝: the RBCF as a facilitator and platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Make visible 👀: putting our sport and players more on the map, nationally and internationally.
• Support 🛠️: helping clubs, volunteers, and players with tools, training, and resources.

As chairman, I currently see the following matters 🎯 as priorities to work on:

1. Connect

🤝 Renewal and Expansion of the Team

The federation runs on volunteer work, and extra hands make the work less burdensome. Additional manpower in the board and the group of employees is essential. We actively seek new and motivated forces to tackle the many challenges together.

🧩 Working Groups and Involvement of the Chess Community

I strongly believe in active involvement of the chess community and will commit myself during my term to further improve this. The working groups are valuable, and I want to further strengthen that model. Additionally, as chairman, I also want to strengthen collaboration with communities, leagues, and clubs, with the aim of creating win-win effects for all parties.

💼 Sponsorship and External Partners

To strengthen our operations and enable new initiatives, we must build bridges to external partners. Sponsorship can provide us with additional resources, allowing us to offer more support to clubs and players.

2. Make visible

📣 Strengthening Communication and Visibility

Communication via blog and newsletter deserves ongoing attention and further development. We can also reach more chess players through social media channels. Compared to neighboring countries, our membership rate is low. We need to take initiatives to connect this unreached group of chess players with the official chess community.

🌍 International Representation

As chairman, I want to contribute to the international representation of Belgium within FIDE and ECU, in collaboration with other involved board members and staff. It is important that our federation also makes its voice heard internationally and takes advantage of the opportunities available through that channel.

3. Support

💻 Improving Digital Infrastructure

The IT operations need to be addressed promptly. After the implementation of the new membership management system, I want to work with the board to determine what steps are needed to further improve our digital infrastructure, possibly with additional external assistance.

🎓 Focus on Youth Development

Youth development also deserves ongoing attention. We need to support clubs in attracting and guiding young players, and also provide the young talents themselves with the appropriate support to maximize their growth.

4. Transfer and continuity

📊 Transfer of Responsibilities for Rating Officer

If my candidacy is accepted, I will hand over the role of national rating officer. I am happy to continue supporting a migration to FIDE ELO from my previous role as rating officer.

💬 Make your Voice Heard

I invite everyone to provide constructive feedback on this candidacy and to share proposals that can benefit chess in Belgium.

I am running with the intention of building a federation that connects, makes visible, and supports, together with you.

📧 steven.bellens@frbe-kbsb-ksb.be
📱 +32 472 11 44 15