Belarus has been the 2022 World Chess Olympiad ©FIDE

Belarus will host the 2022 World Chess Olympiad, it has been announced. 

The decision was taken at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) General Assembly in Batumi, the  Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA) reported.

Belarus' bid was supported by the majority of the General Assembly participants, who chose it ahead of rival bids from South Korea and Tunisia.

Government officials in Minsk see the event as an ideal opportunity to promote Belarus following, what they hope, will be the success of next year's European Games there. 

"We are currently in preparations for hosting the 2019 European Games," the Belarusian Sports and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk told Russia's official state news agency TASS following the decision. 

"The infrastructure is ideal and we are waiting for guests."

This year's World Chess Olympiad was held in Batumi in Georgia ©FIDE
This year's World Chess Olympiad was held in Batumi in Georgia ©FIDE

Earlier in the FIDE General Assembly, chairman of the Belarusian Chess Federation Anastasia Sorokina was elected vice-president of the world governing body. 

This year's Olympiad was held in Batumi with a total number of participants of 1,667, with 920 in the open tournament and 747 in the women's event.

The number of registered teams was 185 from 180 nations in the open section and 151 from 146 countries in the women's section - both records. 

China won the gold medal in both the open and women's event.

The 2020 World Chess Olympiad is due to place in Khanty-Mansiysk in Russia.