Take The Leap: International Competition and Travel at XVII Women's Continental Championship of the Americas

Editor’s Note: Earlier this spring, we reported on the XVII Campeonato Continental Femenino de Ajedrez de Las Américas, where then-WIM Iris Mou earned the WGM title with her first-place finish.

Eight American women made the trip to compete in Peru, including two regular chess-travelers, who have agreed to share their experiences and highlights with Chess Life Online.

Lauren Goodkind is a chess coach and chess book author based out of Northern California. Megan Chen is the first woman to play rated chess in all 50 states.

We hope this article encourages readers to, in Lauren’s words, “take the leap” when opportunities for international competition arise.

From Lima to Cusco: Growth, Landmarks, and a Rare Underpromotion at the 2026 Continental Women’s Championship

By Lauren Goodkind

Representing your country on an international stage is a lot of fun, and it's an experience that always pushes you out of your comfort zone. From March 31 to April 5, 2026, I had the privilege of doing just that at the XVII Campeonato Continental Femenino de Ajedrez de Las Américas. Held at the beautiful Delfines Hotel in Lima, Peru, this prestigious 9-round event gathered 55 players — including many of the top female competitors in the Americas — all battling at a demanding time control of game-in-90 with a 30-second increment.

This marked my second time playing in the Continental Women’s Championship, following my debut two years ago in the Dominican Republic. It was fantastic to see familiar faces from that 2024 trip alongside a good turnout of elite players from Central and South America. The United States sent a delegation of eight players, and we truly made our presence felt. Fellow American WIM Iris Mou was the clear winner, which was the capstone to an event where the top four Americans heavily dominated the upper standings.

Stepping Up My Game

For me, this trip was unforgettable both on and off the board. It was my very first time visiting South America. To soak in the culture, I took a wonderful city tour of Lima the day before the first round started.

I finished the main tournament with a plus-score of five wins and four losses This was a solid step up from the 4/9 score that I earned in the Dominican Republic. Excluding my online AFM title, I was proud to finish as the top untitled player in the field, earning 24th place overall. I also played in the rapid and blitz side tournaments too!

Photo courtesy of the subject.

Between rounds, I balanced the intense focus of the tournament with regular walks, meals, and rest. Because my Spanish is very limited and many of the players didn't speak English, I used my phone's translator app to communicate with them.

The absolute highlights of my tournament were getting to face world-class opposition. I had the honor of playing WGM Sabina Foisor, a former US Women’s Champion, and IM Deysi Cori, who is legendary in South America. Though I lost both games, the experience of fighting against players of that caliber was invaluable. In Round 2 of the main tournament, I was also paired up against fellow American Megan Chen. While she took the win, I was endlessly impressed to learn about her incredible milestone: she has played a competitive chess tournament in all 50 US states!

In Round 7, I was paired against Monserrat Morales Flores from Chile. Going in, I knew she would be a fierce opponent. Just one round prior, she beat an 1800-rated player in only 14 moves.

In Round 4, I had the pleasure of playing against a very talented nine-year-old local Peruvian player, Jarely Katty Rojas Raraz. Facing local talent is one of the best parts of traveling for chess. I chose the solid Caro-Kann Defense, which converted into an interesting middlegame.

To the best of my memory, this was my very first time delivering a checkmate via bishop underpromotion in an over-the-board tournament game. It felt absolutely magical! Have you ever underpromoted to a bishop to clinch a tournament win? Jarely played very well and she put up a fantastic fight for a 9-year-old.

Exploring Beyond the 64 Squares

Once the final round concluded, a non-chess-playing friend and I caught a quick one-hour flight from Lima up to the Cusco region to explore the rich history of Peru. We walked through the awe-inspiring ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, explored the mountain-cradled town of Pisac, and completed a breathtaking hike up to the saddle of Rainbow Mountain, reaching a peak altitude of roughly 17,000 feet!

I pose in front of Rainbow Mountain (about 17,000 feet high). (Photo courtesy of the subject)

For any female chess players reading this who are on the fence about competing internationally: take the leap. Getting completely out of your comfort zone is rewarding. It is a privilege to represent the U.S. abroad while making lifelong connections with women from completely different countries and cultures.

Peru is an incredibly beautiful nation that has a lot of natural wonders: tall Andean peaks that dwarf the continental US mountain ranges, llamas, alpacas, and rich traditions. I came home not just a stronger chess player, but with an enriched perspective on the world. I fully plan to keep playing on the international circuit, and I hope to see more of you join me on the roster next time!

Detailed Preparation and a Buffet of Opportunities

By Megan Chen

Like Lauren, this year’s Continental Women’s Championship was my second time participating in the tournament. I played in the 2025 tournament held in Oaxtepec, Mexico, as the only American player during that year’s event. It was my first major international event of that format, and I had a challenging time, only finishing with a 3½/9 score, including some games where I was upset by lower-rated juniors.

My main goal this year was to finish with a better score than last year, at minimum. Even better, I’d be pleased if I could notch some upsets or two. I know from last year and this year that the field is always incredibly strong. Countries from North, Central, and South America send their absolute best female players to represent them well in a major continental championship. It gives these players a shot to face strong opposition, win huge prize money, and earn titles and norms.

Most notably, this tournament is also a chance to qualify for the FIDE Women’s World Cup. That’s a huge deal in women’s chess because that’s a qualifying path towards the FIDE Women’s Candidates!

I fortunately succeeded in both fronts - ultimately finishing with a 4/9 final score and scoring two wins against higher-rated opponents.

Here are three of my favorite games from the tournament. I even included a loss (from Round 1) amongst them, because, in chess, losing is learning!

Having the opportunity to be fully honest with myself with annotations is handy for long-term chess growth.

Also, this was the strongest opponent I played in the event, rating-wise. What’s even cooler is that this Mexican WIM was a 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup participant! It’s not every day that you get to play a rated game against somebody of that high caliber, so it was definitely a moment I truly cherished during my week in Peru!

Interestingly enough, the photographers of the tournament captured a nice photo of me playing in Round 1, which I found from the Peru Chess Federation’s Facebook page:

Megan Chen (L) in Round 1. (Photo courtesy of the Peru Chess Federation)

They also captured a nice photo of Lauren playing WGM Sabina Foisor during Round 1!

Goodkind (L) against Sabina Foisor in Round 1. (Photo courtesy of the Peru Chess Federation)

After a very exhausting and disappointing loss, I tried my best to reset my brain. The lunch break was rather interesting because I got to meet both WGM Sabina Foisor and also Lauren. We all sat at the same table and the two of them got a chance to discuss their game a bit while I overheard and listened to what they had to say, so that was a very neat opportunity!

Little did I know that this coincidental meeting was just the beginning! Shortly after I finished eating, I pulled out my phone to check the pairings. Of all people I could possibly play, I got paired with Lauren!!!! Not only another fellow American, but the one person I hung out with and met for the first time over lunch! How funny.

More Highlights From My Week in Lima:

Getting to meet and socialize with most of the other American players at the awards ceremony and during dinner after the tournament!

From left: Chen, Foisor, Thalia Cervantes, and Goodkind. (Photo courtesy Megan Chen)

The buffet food was, in modern parlance, “S-Tier!” My friends tell me I am such a nerd for taking fancy food photos. I’ll take that as a compliment. Here are some of my favorites. I absolutely loved the desserts that came with the buffet meals, especially the flan, jello, and tres leches cakes.

To top it all off, after the tournament ended, I got a chance to try one of the fancy cakes from La Panaderia, a bakery across the street from the Delfines Hotel. They had a deluxe selection of different kinds of cakes! The one I got was a Peruvian thousand-layer cake with strawberries and blueberries, known as “milhojas de arándano”.

I only had one extra day after the tournament, but I still got a chance to get a good walking tour of the San Isidro district of Lima, within a decent radius from the Delfines Hotel. Here are some photos I captured from my little journey!