FIDE and the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess are inviting players, national federations, and the wider chess community to take the first step toward ChessMom 2026.
Following its successful debut at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, the ChessMom Project returns for the 46th Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. The programme provides financial and logistical support to professional women chess players who are mothers, allowing them to compete at the highest level alongside their children and a caregiver.
If you are a player and a mother, or if you know someone who could benefit from the programme, please complete the short registration form via the link below.
Register here: https://forms.gle/wuX5ra2pgyDTrwyE8
This early registration allows the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess to:
- Identify players interested in the programme
- Share updated information as soon as the official Olympiad regulations are released
- Offer guidance and support throughout the application process
Who is eligible
Participation in ChessMom is for players who are part of the official delegations of their national federations for the 46th Chess Olympiad. For the 2026 edition, mothers with children under two years of age at the time of the Olympiad are eligible to apply – an expansion from the under-one limit applied in 2024.
Application requirements
Interested national federations and eligible players are invited to prepare the following information:
- Player’s full name, FIDE ID, national federation, and citizenship
- Visa requirements for Uzbekistan
- Child’s full name and date of birth
- Accompanying person’s full name, relationship to the player or child, and citizenship
- Letter of request from the player
- Letter of concurrence from the national federation confirming participation in the 2026 Olympiad
A note for national federations
Federations are encouraged to share this registration link with eligible players within their teams and to support the identification of potential beneficiaries. National federations participating in the Olympiad normally receive three rooms as part of their accommodation package. For delegations that include a player approved under ChessMom, the player’s single room is upgraded to a double room to allow the caregiver and child to stay together with the team. The total number of rooms allocated to each delegation remains unchanged.
ChessMom reflects FIDE’s commitment to ensuring that no woman is forced to choose between motherhood and a professional career in chess. Six players from across the world were supported through the programme in Budapest 2024, and the 2026 edition continues that work with expanded reach and updated eligibility.
Contact: Francisco Javier Cruz Arce – fj_007@yahoo.com.