Havana, December 13 (PL) -- Cuba will organize the Central American and Caribbean Championship for women and the Pan American Senior Chess Championship during the first semester of 2024, announced the National Chess Federation (FCA).

According to the weekly Jit, the president of the FCA, Carlos Rivero, hosting these competitions will favor the participation of as many local players as possible.

Both tournaments have a high probability of coinciding with some of the traditional competitions of the annual calendar in the largest of the Antilles, such as the Capablanca and Guillermito Garcia memorials.

"We are still adjusting details to set the exact date, but after this year's experience with the celebration of the women's continental as part of the Capablanca, we believe we can repeat that formula," Rivero said.

"It happens in many important tournaments around the world. They are convened as festivals with more than one tournament at a time," added the federation official and stressed the insistence on ensuring the quality of the competitions.

For the senior competition they aspire to have two groups, one of players over 50 years of age and the other with those over 60, in line with the practice worldwide.

Cuba included a senior group in the past two editions of the Capablanca, although with a majority of national participants. The organizers intend that in the 2024 edition more visitors from the continent will attend.

According to Rivero, among the FCA's plans for 2025 is the organization of the Central Caribbean school championship, open to players from under-seven to under-17.

"With events like that we will boost the practice in the younger generations. We have the opportunity for a greater number of boys and girls to measure themselves against players from the area," he stressed.

The infant-juvenile competition does not have a definite date and venue, but the FCA considers that it could become one of those with the largest number of participants on the island.

He also informed that the FCA will receive in 2024 financial support for the acquisition -mainly- of air tickets for the transfer of players to international competitions and the arrival in the country of the necessary material to continue developing chess from the grassroots.