♟️ About Federación Colombiana de Ajedrez (FECODAZ)

The Federación Colombiana de Ajedrez (FECODAZ) is the national governing body for chess in Colombia. Headquartered in Bogotá, it represents Colombian chess within the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Confederation of Chess for Americas (CCA). FECODAZ is also recognized within Colombia’s national sports structure through the Comité Olímpico Colombiano and the Ministry of Sport. It coordinates official chess activity through affiliated departmental leagues across the country.

FECODAZ manages an extensive national competition system covering absolute, women’s, youth, school, amateur, rapid, and blitz chess. It also administers player registration and ratings, develops arbiters and coaches, supports national teams, and coordinates Colombian participation in continental and world championships. Its 2026 calendar included national championships from U6 through U20, the National Amateur Championships, national rapid and blitz championships, the National Absolute and Women’s qualification stages, and major international events hosted in Colombia.

José Gregorio Ramírez Fontalvo is the current President of FECODAZ, leading the federation following a significant leadership transition during 2026. The current Executive Committee also includes Fernando Moscotes as Vice President, Cristian Gil as International Secretary, and Oscar Consuegra as Treasurer, alongside other committee members. FECODAZ’s 2026 season has combined a full domestic championship program with major international activity, including the record-breaking XXXVI Pan-American Youth Chess Festival in Medellín and Colombia’s gold-medal performance in chess at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.

🏛️ National Chess Structure and Leadership

FECODAZ governs organized chess nationally through a network of affiliated departmental leagues. These include chess leagues representing regions such as Antioquia, Bogotá, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Cundinamarca, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, and many others. The federation’s administration includes specialist bodies for technical matters, arbitration, discipline, communications, rating administration, and training. It also maintains national databases for players, arbiters, coaches, ratings, and FECODAZ membership credentials.

José Gregorio Ramírez Fontalvo currently heads the federation. In addition, the administrative structure includes Marcela Herrera in management and dedicated personnel responsible for communications, technical matters, web services, and federation administration.

🏆 National Championship Program

The 2026 FECODAZ calendar covers almost every stage of competitive development. The national youth program began with the U20 Championship in Bucaramanga and continued with separate national championships for U6/U12, U18, U8/U14, and U10/U16 players. FECODAZ also organized the National Amateur Championships for rating categories below 1700, 2000, and 2300, followed by the National Youth Rapid and Blitz Championships and the senior National Rapid and Blitz Championships.

The National Absolute and Women’s Championship pathway includes semifinal and final stages. The 2026 semifinal was scheduled for August in Fómeque, Cundinamarca, while the National Absolute and Women’s Finals are scheduled for December 14–21, 2026, in Pereira. This structure creates a progression route from junior and school chess to Colombia’s principal national titles and international representation.

🎓 Youth and School Chess

Youth chess represents one of FECODAZ’s largest areas of activity. National championships cover age categories beginning at U6, while school and continental tournaments provide additional opportunities for developing players. In 2026, Colombia also achieved a notable international school-chess result when William Nicolás Rodríguez won a gold medal for his performance on first board at the FIDE–ISF World School Team Championship.

FECODAZ supports the development of the technical staff around young players as well. A FIDE Arbiters’ Seminar organized by the Colombian federation produced several successful Colombian candidates for FIDE Arbiter norms, while educational and coaching initiatives form another part of its development program.

🌟 XXXVI Pan-American Youth Chess Festival 2026

One of FECODAZ’s largest projects of 2026 was the XXXVI Festival Panamericano de Ajedrez de la Juventud, organized together with the Confederation of Chess for Americas. The festival took place in Medellín from July 26 to August 2, 2026, with the principal classical competition running from July 27 to August 1 at the Coliseo de Combate Guillermo Gaviria Correa in the Atanasio Girardot sports complex.

Participation reached approximately 960 players from 30 countries, making it a record-scale continental youth event. Boys and girls competed from U8 through U18, with classical, rapid, and blitz championships forming part of the program. The classical tournament used nine rounds with a time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move. Jenny Panesso Rivera served as Tournament Director, while IA Norbey Rodríguez Álvarez was Chief Arbiter.

🌎 Colombian National Team and International Success

FECODAZ is responsible for coordinating Colombia’s representation in major international chess competitions. The federation’s 2026 program included continental championships, youth events, international training, and preparations connected with the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Colombia achieved an especially strong result at the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo in July 2026. The national chess delegation finished first in the chess medal standings, collecting six medals: three gold, two silver, and one bronze.

Esteban Valderrama and Valentina Argote won gold medals in rapid, while Santiago Garzón added a rapid silver. Garzón later won gold in blitz, while Nicolle Mogollón took silver and Argote added bronze. Earlier in 2026, Colombian players also produced important continental results. FM Andrés Santiago Garzón won the American Continental Rapid Championship, while IM Esteban Valderrama finished second.