FIDE Commission Outlines Development Path for Women's Chess
FIDE Women’s Chess Commission Defines the Path for the Development, Progress and Future of Women’s Chess
Women’s chess today is no longer simply a question of the number of women participating in tournaments. Increasing attention is being paid to the opportunities women receive within the chess ecosystem, how safe the playing environment is, and what professional paths are available to them beyond the chessboard.
These issues were at the heart of the meeting of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess (WOM), held on September 22, 2026, in Samarkand as part of the 46th World Chess Olympiad. The meeting was titled “Beyond the Board: Women, Innovation and the Business of Chess.”
From Participation to Full Representation in Chess
One of the central ideas of the meeting was to broaden the understanding of women’s role in chess.
The discussion is not limited to professional players. Women work as coaches, arbiters, organisers, journalists, commentators, educators, content creators, entrepreneurs and leaders of chess organisations.
FIDE Deputy President Dana Reizniece-Ozola stressed that the goal is to increase women’s representation across all of these areas. In this sense, the development of women’s chess is viewed as a comprehensive process rather than simply an effort to increase the number of female tournament participants.
This approach is becoming increasingly important as chess develops into a broader professional industry combining sport, education, technology, media and business.
Data Helps Reveal the Real Situation
One of the tools being used to assess the situation is the Women in Chess Representation, Participation and Development Survey, a global survey launched by the Commission in August 2026.
Its purpose is to build a more complete picture of women’s participation in chess, including professional development opportunities, existing barriers and the experiences of women at different levels — from beginners to professionals and organisational leaders.
This work is complemented by the Gender Equality in Chess Index 2026 (GECI).
According to the published data, the study included 119 chess federations, covering around 95% of players. Of FIDE’s 1,446,605 active players, 238,716 are women — approximately 16.5%. The average GECI score was 61.5, which is 2.1 points higher than the 2023 figure.
These figures make it possible to assess not only the current level of women’s participation but also the pace of change across different countries.
Safety Is Becoming a Major Priority
However, increasing the number of female participants does not solve every problem.
One of the most serious topics discussed at the meeting was the creation of a safe environment for women and girls. WOM Chairwoman Tris-Ann Richards presented the results of a global study in which two out of five respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment in the chess environment, three-quarters reported discrimination or harassment, and almost half had considered leaving chess. These figures were presented by the Commission itself and reflect the results of its research.
The Commission is calling for clearer procedures for responding to such situations. Proposed measures include safety training for arbiters and coaches, independent investigation procedures, and accessible information about reporting mechanisms directly at tournaments.
As a result, the conversation about the future of women’s chess is not only about “How can we attract more women?”, but also about “How can we create an environment in which they want to remain in chess?”
ChessMom: Supporting Chess Players Who Are Mothers
Another area of WOM’s work focuses on balancing professional careers with family life.
The ChessMom project was launched as a pilot initiative at the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest. Its goal is to help chess players with young children continue competing at a high level.
In 2026, the programme was expanded. While in 2024 it applied to mothers with children under one year old, the criteria in Samarkand were extended to children under two. The number of participants also increased from five to twelve.
This highlights another important aspect of the development of women’s chess: creating conditions in which having a child does not necessarily mean taking a break from, or ending, a sporting career.
Chess as a Space for Professional Development
A significant part of the meeting focused on opportunities beyond competitive chess itself.
WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni spoke about her transition from a career as a chess player to working as an entrepreneur, commentator and presenter. Sagar Shah offered a perspective on the development of the chess industry, investment and new business opportunities.
Digital content, streaming, personal branding, education and other areas in which chess can create professional opportunities were also discussed.
As a result, a chess career increasingly looks less like a single trajectory of “player — tournament — rating.” The modern chess ecosystem offers many other professional paths.
From Local Initiatives to a Global System
The Commission also presented updates on a number of projects, including Queens and Princesses Festival, ChessMom, Chess for Protection, Chess Marathon and Chess4All.
A particularly important initiative is Chess for Protection, a joint project of FIDE and UNHCR aimed at supporting displaced people through chess. The project began in 2021, and in 2026 its participants were given the opportunity to appear on the international stage as part of organised men’s and women’s teams at the Olympiad in Samarkand.
Such programmes demonstrate that the development of women’s chess can intersect with broader social objectives, including education, integration, family support and the creation of new opportunities for children and adults.
What Comes Next for Women’s Chess?
The main outcome of the WOM meeting is not a single project, but a broader shift in the approach to developing women’s chess.
The Commission is working across several interconnected areas:
* increasing participation among girls and women;
* creating a safe and inclusive chess environment;
* supporting chess players with children;
* expanding professional opportunities;
* increasing the number of women among coaches, arbiters, organisers and leaders;
* developing entrepreneurship and digital projects;
* using research and statistics to inform decision-making;
* creating long-term programmes capable of retaining women in chess.
The combination of these factors can shape the future trajectory of women’s chess development.
The Future Is Not Only on the Chessboard
The meeting of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess in Samarkand demonstrated how significantly the understanding of women’s chess development has evolved.
Today, the question is not simply how many women play in tournaments. More importantly, it is how many opportunities chess can offer women and how sustainable their participation in the chess ecosystem can be.
From professional competition to coaching, from journalism to entrepreneurship, from motherhood to leadership positions, the chessboard is becoming just one part of a much broader ecosystem.
The future development of women’s chess will therefore depend not on a single major tournament or individual star, but on how consistently the chess community can create opportunities for new generations of players, professionals and leaders.
The Samarkand WOM meeting became another step in this process — moving from assessing progress already achieved towards establishing concrete pathways for the future development of women’s chess.