"We are still at a process on specific arrangements but there are several alternatives so we want to learn from the IOC how they did it and try to understand what is actually feasible," FIDE managing director Dana Reizniece-Ozola told insidethegames.

"For us it is very important that the form does not prevail of the essence with these kind of projects, you have to be careful that you do not start running after the PR effect, and still consider that what is most important is the essence of the task to help them, empower them, and guide them and possibly have a positive impact on their lives."

Consultations have been launched with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) to establish the best way of organising the group.

"There are several different approaches, one is to select the refugees from the refugee camps which might be quite a challenge because of all the formalities," Reizniece-Ozola continued.

FIDE has also launched a scheme in conjunction with the IOC to help mentor chess players among the Ukrainian refugees living in Poland.

"We want to give them the set of skills with trainers, arbiters and so on, so they can use what they know to practice chess," Reizniece-Ozola said.

"That’s one of the initiatives, that possibly from these girls we could form at least part of the refugee team."

Arrangements are likely to be put in place a few months before the Chess Olympiad which is scheduled to begin on September 10 2024.

Plans for refugee participation had been made for the 2022 Chess Olympiad when it was originally scheduled for Moscow.

The event was moved to Chennai, India, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it proved impossible to make the necessary arrangements in time.