FIDE launches the ChessMom initiative

FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess is pleased to announce a new initiative focused on supporting Professional Chess Players going through motherhood

The ChessMom pilot project aims to provide support for professional chess players who are mothers of infants under one year old. Specifically, through this initiative, all expenses related to an accompanying or caregiver person for ten female players traveling with their infants to the 45th Chess Olympiad will be covered.

Dana Reizniece-Ozola, FIDE’s Deputy Chair of the Management Board, expressed her support, drawing on her personal experience as a chess player and mother of four.

„As a chess player and as a mother of four children and as someone who actively played chess, I understand how hard it is for mothers who are professional players to cope with both maintaining their career and living and fulfilling the critical role a mother has in the first year of their child. FIDE, therefore, fully supports this initiative by the Commission for Women’s Chess, and we will actively look towards other ways on how we can help and support chess mothers in the future,“ said Dana Reizniece-Ozola.

The Chess Olympiad organizer will recognize both the child and the accompanying caregiver as integral parts of the National Official Delegation, granting them all applicable rights. This includes discounted full board rates where applicable, with FIDE covering lodgings, meals, and any other applicable discounted fees as part of the Official Delegation.

National Delegations should, therefore, consider a child and the accompanying caregiver as part of the National Official Delegation, with all applicable rights.

„In recent years, we have seen many initiatives by FIDE in favor of Women. Now we address the most important one in their adult lives, motherhood. Our players should not have to choose between family and chess. I hope this pilot program transitions to become the norm in the near future,“ said Francisco J Cruz Arce, WOM Member and ChessMom Project Leader.

WOM urges National and Continental Federations to review and adjust their requirements for National Teams to include provisions for chess players who are mothers. The hope is that this initiative will evolve into consistent support for professional chess players experiencing motherhood during significant tournaments.

„The idea of the project is to keep professional chess players in chess in the early stages following the birth of a child. Many chess players can’t come to the Olympiad and other chess events because there is no possibility for them to take care of a baby. This project can become a great social initiative,“ said Anastasia Sorokina, WOM Chair.

For more information, please contact the project Leader Francisco J Cruz Arce: fj_007@yahoo.com