The first official event of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess in 2025 took place from January 10th to 12th. This event was an online Arbiter’s Seminar specifically for women, with all participation costs fully covered by the Commission. This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to empower and support women from all backgrounds in the chess world, making it possible for every woman to have the opportunity to contribute to and thrive in the chess community.
We strongly believe that women bring unique qualities to the chess world—whether it’s their deep knowledge, empathy, or diverse set of skills. Time and again, we have seen how women in crucial roles enrich and enhance the game, creating a more inclusive and dynamic environment for everyone involved.
The demand for this seminar was so high that we were delighted to add extra spots to accommodate all the interested participants. This demonstrates the growing interest and talent among women in chess, and we are proud to continue fostering such an encouraging space for learning and development.
This seminar was organized in partnership with the Polish Chess Federation and the FIDE Arbiter’s Commission, under the auspices of FIDE. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our lecturers—IA Panagiotis Nikolopoulos (GRE), FIDE Lecturer; IA Anastasia Sorokina (AUS); and IA Alexander Sokolski (POL)—for sharing their expertise and insights with our participants.
We are excited to see where this new chapter will take the women who joined the seminar, and we look forward to supporting even more women in their chess journeys this year and beyond.
