17th Continental Women's Chess Championships 2026 Announced

The 17th Continental Women's Chess Championship of the Americas 2026 will be held March 30 - April 6, 2026 at the Delfines Hotel & Convention Center, San Isidro, Lima, Peru. The event, organized by the Chess Confederation of the Americas and the Peruvian Sports Chess Federation (FDPA) is open to all American continent chess federation women players.

This is a nine-round event and the time control for all games is Game 90 with 30-second increment starting from move one. The champion will qualify to participate in the FIDE World Cup and the prize fund is $8000 with the top 10 finishers receiving a prize. Click here to download a PDF of the full tournament regulations.

OFFICIAL PLAYERS

US Chess will nominate three (3) Official Players who have the right to accommodation (shared double room) and full meals, at the expense of the organizer, from Monday, March 30 dinner until Monday, April 6 breakfast. To be eligible to be one of the USA Official Players, you must register for the event (instructions below) no later than Friday, February 20, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Central Time. 

The top 3 USA players according to the February 2026 FIDE Standard Rating List, who register by the Friday, February 20 2026, 5:00 p.m. Central Time, deadline and pays their invoice by Monday, February 23, 2026, 5:00PM Central, will be chosen to be the USA Official Players. Payment is required to confirm participation. 

After completion of the event, Official Players will be refunded their main entry fee, accommodation, and partial admin fees.

REGISTRATION

All registrations for the tournament must be submitted by national federations; it is not possible for an individual to register directly with the organizer. The registration fee for all players is $200. Please note there is also a $300 non-refundable administrative fee which will be added to all registrations. Interested players must fill out the Google Form: https://forms.gle/ePLYhZk8oEeBm1qa6 

The US Chess deadline for USA players to register is Friday, February 20, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CDT, which will enable US Chess to collect all the information required for participation by the organizer's deadline.

The Payment Deadline will be Monday, February 23, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CDT. 

Refund Policy: A full refund of the entry fee will be provided, minus the administrative fee, if requested by Friday, February 20, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CDT. After this date, no refund will be provided, unless the tournament is canceled by the organizers.

A current US Chess membership through the end of the tournament (May 2026) is required for all USA participants. A USA-flagged FIDE ID is required for all USA players. If you do not currently have a FIDE ID, please complete our FIDE ID Request Form at https://forms.gle/fCCTis7WgtJEb2rv6.

ACCOMMODATION

The organizer offers the Delfines Hotel & Convention Center 5***** at the room rates:

• Double Room per person and per day - $120.00/night/person
• Double Room per person and per day (breakfast only) - $85.00/night/person
• Update (2/14) - Single Room (must be 18+ at check-in) per day - $150/night

Players must stay at the official hotel or else they would need to pay a penalty to the organizer of $200 per the event regulations; US Chess is not responsible for this fee regarding staying at an off-site hotel and added to your invoice if you choose this option. 

WAIVERS

While US Chess has to collect registrations on behalf of our federation and submit them to the organizer, we cannot accept responsibility for the health and well being of any players who choose to travel to this event. By participating in this tournament, the registered player and their accompanying persons assumes all risks related to international travel. The full waiver document is listed here: https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/uschess-covid-travel-waiver.pdf

CONTACT

Please contact Brian Yang, US Chess FIDE Events Manager at Click here to show email address for questions relating to this tournament.