Queen’s Gambit Challenge – Stage 3
Two New Women’s Teams Headed to the 46th Chess Olympiad
Reporting Period: April 25 – June 21, 2026
The third stage of the Queen’s Gambit Challenge officially commenced on April 25, 2026, with a focus on preparing the national women’s teams of Bermuda and Antigua and Barbuda for the 46th Chess Olympiad. Both federations will be sending a full women’s team to the Chess Olympiad for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the development of women’s chess in their respective countries.
Over a period of seven weeks, the players participated in a structured Olympiad training programme consisting of twice-weekly sessions. The programme covered advanced opening preparation, game analysis, tactical training, endgame study, and practical play. The initial training phase concluded on June 21, 2026.
Although this phase has ended, the teams continue to work closely with their coaches IM Jomo Pitterson (Bermuda) and WIM Deborah Richards-Porter (Antigua and Barbuda) to further strengthen their preparation ahead of the Olympiad. The Queen’s Gambit Challenge remains committed to increasing opportunities for women in chess while helping emerging federations build competitive, sustainable women’s programmes. With their training well underway, both teams are now entering the final phase of preparation and are ready to proudly represent their countries alongside women’s teams from around the world at the 46th Chess Olympiad.
This stage builds on the success of the previous phases of the Queen’s Gambit Challenge. Stage 1, held from April 5 to June 8, 2025, introduced more than 480 women and girls from around the world to chess, who were learning the game for the first time. This was followed by Stage 2, held from September 6 to November 2, 2025, which focused on strengthening the skills of these new players.
We were delighted to receive 586 registrations from 85 countries, reflecting the growing interest among women seeking to improve their chess skills and pursue the goal of representing their countries at future Chess Olympiads.
