The 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad started in Budapest, Hungary and will run until September 22nd. The tournament will feature a record number of teams – 197 in the open section and 183 in the women’s section.
The event commenced with a beautiful opening ceremony full of special guests and breathtaking performances. Legendary Judit Polgar, the strongest female chess-player of all time, brought the Olympic torch to the stage, thus symbolizing the start of the new Olympiad.
For the next 11 days participants from all over the world will be fighting for the Olympic glory – for medals, for victory, for their teams and countries.
Women’s Section Highlights
For the first time, India enters the Olympiad as the top seed in the women’s section. The Indian team, with an impressive average rating of 2467, is spearheaded by Harika Dronavalli (2502), and includes rising stars Vaishali R (2498), Divya Deshmukh (2483), and Vantika Agrawal (2370), alongside the experienced Tania Sachdev (2386). This Indian chess rising, it is a significant opportunity for this team to win its first Olympic gold.
However, the competition is fierce. Four other teams also have average ratings of 2400 or above. Georgia, starting in second place, is a formidable contender with Nana Dzagnidze (2508), the highest-rated female player in the Olympiad, leading the team. Poland, the third seed, is led by Alina Kashlinskaya (2490) and has a strong track record in women’s events.
China and Ukraine, seeded fourth and fifth respectively, are missing some of their top players. China’s team lacks Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun and other top players like Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi. Meanwhile, Ukraine is missing the Muzychuk sisters. Despite these absences, both teams remain highly competitive, with China’s Jiner Zhu (2487) and Ukraine’s Yuliia Osmak (2471) leading their sides.
We are really happy to see that three leaders of the top 5 teams – Nana Dzagnidze, Alina Kashlinskaya, and Yuliia Osmak – are part of our “ChessMom” project. This initiative supports mother chess players by covering expenses for their child and an accompanying caregiver, allowing the moms to participate in the tournament.
Our Initiatives at the Olympiad
The Olympiad is more than just a competition; it’s a celebration of chess in its many forms, allowing us to celebrate people from so many different backgrounds, each with their story, culture and uniqueness, connected by passion and power of chess.
Here’s a look at some of our key projects:
ChessMom Project: This pilot project supports six mothers competing in the Olympiad by covering their caregiving expenses. The participants include:
- Alina Kashlinskaya (Poland)
- Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia)
- Yuliia Osmak (Ukraine)
- Aster Melake Bantiwalu (Ethiopia)
- Rauha Shipindo (Namibia)
- Nolwazi Nkwanyane (Eswatini)
We extend our gratitude to the national federations for their support and hope this initiative continues to grow world-wide.
National Female Team Initiative: This initiative has introduced nine new female teams to the Olympiad. The countries participating for the first time are Liechtenstein, Guernsey, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, the US Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Nauru, and the Cayman Islands. Each team received a captain and financial support to ensure they are well-prepared.
Girl’s Club participants are members of the Refugee Teams: The Girl’s Club project, running for three years, provides lessons to girls from refugee camps. Two participants from this initiative are now part of the first-ever Refugee Team!
Cooperation with artist Juga: Incredible artist Juga will record video to her new song ‘’Queen Trap’’ during the Olympiad. It is planned to be a celebration of women in chess, showcasing women players from 160 countries.
Queens Chess Festival: Winners of the “Queens Chess Festival,” an online tournament series for female and junior players, are invited to the Olympiad for a three-day visit, all expenses covered. They will participate in various activities planned for the event.
Conference WOMEN&CHESS&BALANCE: On September 21st, we will host a conference dedicated to empowering women in chess. It will feature notable speakers and is open to both in-person and online attendees, free of charge.
More details and registration:
https://wom.fide.com/womconference/
Chess4Peace Participants: The Chess4Peace project supports women affected by war, helping them discover opportunities within the chess world. The project culminates at the Olympiad, where participants will assist in organizing the Conference and experience the event firsthand.
Our Commission has worked tirelessly to support women and girls from diverse backgrounds through chess. We thank everyone involved in these projects and look forward to continuing our efforts.
