FIDE ChessMom Initiative: Applications due May 29
There are only two days left for submitting applications for the ChessMom pilot project. The submission period closes on May 29, 2024. The ChessMom pilot initiative, launched by the Commission for Women’s Chess, aims to support professional chess players who are mothers of infants under one year old. Specifically, the initiative will cover all expenses related to an accompanying caregiver for ten female players traveling with their infants to the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. We invite federations, clubs, and players themselves to send their applications, including information about a mother and a child, as well as a Letter of Concurrence from the National Federation, stating that a player is a part of the National Team by filling the following form: forms.gle/9UQUqpvqHCnhZAh88 Currently, we have received applications from Poland, Ukraine, Mauritius, and Eswatini. For more information and confirmation, please contact the Project Leader, Francisco J Cruz Arce. E-mail: fj_007@yahoo.com WhatApp: +1-787-587-3409 Olympiad Registration dates are from April 18 – June 10, 2024 Timeline for ChessMom Submissions May 06, 2024 – Submission Period started May 29, 2024 – Submission Period closes May 30, 2024 – WOM ChessMom Project meeting June 01, 2024 – WOM announcement of selected Players Learn more about the ChessMom initiative here: fide.com/news/2892
FIDE Torch Relay arrives in Colombia to celebrate chess and unity
FIDE is proud to announce the arrival of the prestigious FIDE Torch Relay in Medellín, Colombia, as part of the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary. This momentous event coincided with the XVII Absolute Chess Championship of the Americas. The torch relay, a symbol of unity and the spirit of chess, illuminated Medellín, known for its vibrant culture and nickname “the city of eternal spring.” The relay travelled to five iconic parks: the University of Antioquia, Jorge Eliecer Gaitán Park, Plazuela San Ignacio, Estadio Station, and Chess Park. Each park hosted a simultaneous chess exhibition featuring grandmasters and providing opportunities for community engagement and the promotion of chess. Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, Dana Reizniece-Ozola, assumed the role of torchbearer, passing the flame to Jose Carillo Pujol, Continental President for the Americas, FIDE Vice President Mario Ramirez Barajas, and Weymar Fernando Muñoz Muñoz, President of Colombian Chess Federation. “Chess flame is travelling around the globe, sharing our passion for the game with people in all parts of the world. On the one hand, chess is the most royal and elite sport, on the other hand, it is also the most democratic one, played by people of different ages, genders and social statuses. In other places worldwide and here today we celebrate the universal character of the game,” Dana Reizniece-Ozola remarked. The relay culminated at the Chess Park, a renowned chess venue in Latin America, with the official lighting of the FIDE Torch. This grand finale was accompanied by a small concert with traditional dances. The centenary festivities are followed by a series of chess tournaments, cultural tours, and executive meetings between FIDE, the Chess Confederation for the Americas (CCA), and the Colombian Chess Federation (FECODAZ). Highlights include simultaneous exhibitions by renowned Grandmasters Veselin Topalov, Alexei Shirov and Nikola Mitkov and a special event at La Pola Juvenile Prison. The global FIDE Torch Relay has traveled the world to be a historic celebration of chess, fostering unity and enthusiasm for the sport. So far, it has been passed through India, Switzerland, Ghana, Canada, and Morocco, leaving a trail of excitement and unity in chess. After Colombia, it will set sail to Romania, where it will join two major events – the World School Team Chess Championship and the Grand Chess Tour. The Romanian leg of the Chess Torch Relay is scheduled for July 04.