The FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess (WOM) held its first meeting of 2025, setting the stage for an exciting and impactful year ahead. With 14 dedicated members present, the Commission summed up a very successful year 2024 and prepared a plan for this year.
This year holds special significance as FIDE has officially declared 2025 the “Year of Social Chess.” The WOM Commission is thrilled to align with this theme by focusing on projects that emphasize inclusion, community engagement, and the transformative power of chess in society. We are ready to expand our previous initiatives even further and start new ones.
Key Projects for 2025
The meeting highlighted several inspiring initiatives that will form the core of the Commission’s efforts this year:
- Chess4All All4Chess
An initiative featuring a series of events for girls and women in the chess world, aimed at creating something special for them. This project focuses on building stronger communities, offering opportunities for interaction with each other and special guests, and fostering a supportive environment for growth and connection. Events as part of this initiative have already been held from Canada to Australia, showcasing its global reach and impact. - ChessMom
A project designed to support new moms who are also active chess players and wish to continue pursuing their professional goals. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance, enabling mothers to travel with their infants and babies to crucial chess events, ensuring they can compete and thrive without compromising their aspirations. - Girls Club in Kakuma
Running since 2021 as part of FIDE’s cooperation with the United Nations in Kenya to support refugees, this project focuses specifically on empowering young refugee girls through chess. The initiative offers chess lessons with incredible teachers—Women Grandmasters Anastasiya Karlovych and Melia Salome—who inspire participants with their expertise and mentorship. By combining powerful chess instruction with role models, the program helps young girls feel empowered despite the challenges they face. - Queens’ Festival
A global online chess festival for women and girls, organized by our commission. Open to all women around the world, the festival aims to be a truly special and inclusive event. Participants can look forward to unique opportunities, such as lessons with top female chess players and special prizes. In previous years, winners received invitations to the most prestigious chess event in the world—the Chess Olympiad. This year, the festival promises to continue creating memorable experiences for all participants. - Queens Gambit Challenge
With an ambitious goal of achieving equal participation among national teams, this initiative aims to continue and expand last year’s “New Female Team” Initiative, that resulted in 8 new teams during the Budapest Chess Olympiad. We hope to spread chess in countries without chess traditions, with very limited or none female players or coaches – to eventually reach equal number of teams in the Chess Olympiad. - Seminars for Women – our Commission will continue to organise seminars with participation for female attendants covered, to ensure more women are able to take part in the chess world in key roles as organisers, arbiters or fair play officers.
The meeting also featured insightful presentations by team leaders, who provided updates and shared their visions for these key projects.
A Heartfelt Thanks
The FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess extends its gratitude to all members for their hard work, dedication, and thoughtful preparation. Your contributions ensure that we continue to make meaningful strides in promoting women’s chess – truly making a difference for girls and women around the world through chess.
Together, let’s make this another truly impactful year for women’s chess. Stay tuned for updates as we bring these projects to life and celebrate the incredible achievements of women in chess worldwide.
