The FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess is pleased to announce the participants selected for the 2026 FIDE ChessMom Project, which will take place during the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Launched as a pilot initiative during the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, the ChessMom Project was designed to support female chess players with young children, enabling them to continue competing at the highest level while representing their national teams. Through this initiative, FIDE provides financial support for an accompanying person who can care for the child while the player is competing, giving mothers the opportunity to focus on their games with greater peace of mind.
For the 2026 Olympiad, FIDE has expanded the eligibility criteria. While the 2024 pilot project was open to mothers with children under one year of age, the 2026 edition will include mothers with children under two years of age. This important enhancement reflects FIDE’s continued commitment to making international chess more inclusive and family-friendly.
The ChessMom Project continues to grow in both reach and impact. Following the successful pilot edition in 2024, which supported five chess mothers, the program will welcome twelve participants at the 2026 Chess Olympiad. More than doubling the number of beneficiaries, this expansion reflects the growing recognition of the project and its mission to support chess mothers while inspiring a more inclusive chess community around the world.
The FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess extends its warm congratulations to all selected participants and looks forward to welcoming them and their families to Samarkand. We also express our sincere appreciation to FIDE for its continued support of initiatives that promote equal opportunities and help create a more inclusive environment for women in chess.
Selected Participants for the 2026 FIDE ChessMom Project
- WCM Karen Julissa Figueroa Figueroa – Barbados
- WFM Patricia Evarista Castillo Peña – Dominican Republic
- WGM Beatriz Irene Franco Valencia – Colombia
- GM Marie Sebag – France
- WIM Bayarmaa Bayarjargal – Mongolia
- Robyn Julian Klaasen – South Africa
- WIM Zenia Corrales Jiménez – Mexico
- GM Elisabeth Pähtz – Germany
- WIM Elisabeth Hapala – Austria
- WFM Luzia Fernandes Pires – Angola
- WFM Razan Alshaeby – Jordan
- WIM Onkemetse Linda Francis – Botswana
