Sitges will host the FIDE World Women’s Team Championship
The city of Sitges has been designated to host the FIDE World Women’s Team Championship 2021, to be held from September 26 to October 3. This coastal town in Spain’s Catalonia region, southwest of Barcelona, has earned its place in the chess calendar, having host already held 8 editions of an important chess open, “Sunway Chess”. Now, for the first time, Sitges will organize an official FIDE event. Twelve participating teams of the Event shall be determined according to the following criteria: a) Best team by rating from each of the four Continents (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe): federations with the highest average rating of the best four female players in the FIDE Rapid June 2021 Rating List from each Continent. If two or more federations of the same Continent have equal average ratings, the rating of the fifth best player of each federation shall be taken into account. If the average ratings are still equal, the rating of the sixth player shall be taken into account etc. b) Five teams representing federations with the highest average ratings of the best four female players in the FIDE Rapid June 2021 Rating List, not qualified by path 2.1.a. If two or more federations have qual average ratings, rating of the fifth best player of each federation shall be taken into account. If the average ratings are still equal, the rating of the sixth player shall be taken into account etc. c) HF team. If this team is qualified by path 2.1.a or 2.1.b, the qualification spot goes to the next non-qualified team by rating as described in Article 2.1.b. d) Two teams nominated by the FIDE President. You can read the whole regulations on the FIDE handbook: https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/WWTCregulations2021.pdf
Queens’ Festival: Registration date extended
The Global Women’s Online Chess Challenge “The Queens’ Festival”, a series of continental and global women’s online chess tournaments and educative side events, starts on June 11, 2021. Female players from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas will first be able to participate in the Continental Online Blitz Qualification Tournaments and those who qualify will advance to the Queens’ Online Individual and Team Finals. Organized by FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess in cooperation with FIDE Events Commission and with the support of the International Olympic Committee, the festival welcomes all women chess players from around the world of all ages and all rating groups, including unrated chess fans. Players will compete in four rating categories: • Category A: > 2100 • Category B: 1800-2099 • Category C: 1500-1799 • Category D: < 1500, unrated Each country can register four female players (one in each category) free of charge. The registration deadline for Qualification Tournaments in Africa and Asia is extended until next Wednesday, June 9, 2021. The registration deadline for Qualification Tournaments in Europe and America is extended until Wednesday, June 16, 2021. For those interested in various chess-related topics, organizers have prepared seminars and networking events with special guests including Dana Reizniece-Ozola, Dinara Saduakassova, Jennifer Shahade, Susan Namangale, Regina Pokorna, Sarkhan Gashimov, Dr. Gnounewou Fopa Seraphin and others. Registrations form, tournament regulations, seminars schedule and more information about the event can found at queensfestival.fide.com