Federación Nacional de Ajedrez de México

♟️ About Federación Nacional de Ajedrez de México (FENAMAC)

The Federación Nacional de Ajedrez de México, A.C. (FENAMAC) is the national governing body for chess in Mexico. Formally constituted on August 12, 1975, the federation celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. Headquartered in Mexico City, FENAMAC represents Mexican chess within the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Confederation of Chess for the Americas (CCA) and works within Mexico’s national sports system. It coordinates official competition, player affiliation, ratings, arbiters, technical commissions, national teams, and the network of state chess associations across the country. FENAMAC operates an extensive calendar covering national championships, the Mexican Open, youth competition, women’s chess, school and CONADE events, rapid and blitz chess, international Opens, and continental championships. Its state-association network reaches almost every part of Mexico, while the federation publishes regulations and qualification procedures for national and international representation. Major recent projects have included the LXXI Campeonato Nacional e Internacional Abierto Mexicano de Ajedrez “Querétaro 2026”, the XIX American Continental Chess Championship 2026, Olimpiada Nacional CONADE, and the large Aguascalientes 2026 national and international championship. Raúl Enrique Hernández Hernández is the current President of FENAMAC for the 2024–2028 board cycle. Sandra Zamudio Hernández serves as General Manager (Gerente) and is one of the federation’s principal operational contacts. FENAMAC remains exceptionally active in the second half of 2026. Following the Aguascalientes championship in August, its official calendar includes the Copa Independencia in September, the Pan-American Master and Senior Chess Championship in October, the II Campeonato Nacional de Ajedrez Mazatlán 2026, and the Copa Revolución in November. The federation is also preparing Mexico’s national teams for the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.

🏛️ National Structure and Leadership

FENAMAC works through a broad network of officially recognized state chess associations. Its current directory includes organizations representing states and jurisdictions such as Aguascalientes, Baja California, Chihuahua, Mexico City, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Yucatán, Zacatecas, and many others. The current Board of Directors is headed by Raúl Enrique Hernández Hernández – President. Dr. Sergio Muñoz Ruvalcaba serves as First Vice President, Rafael Álvarez Navarro as Second Vice President, and Isaac Genghiri Pérez Coral as Third Vice President. Dr. Karla Teresa Solís Luna is Secretary General, while Sergio Sánchez Martínez serves as Treasurer. In addition, FENAMAC maintains technical commissions and administrative areas dealing with arbitration, ratings, regulations, tournament organization, and federation development.

🌟 Campeonato Nacional e Internacional Abierto Mexicano

The Campeonato Nacional e Internacional Abierto Mexicano de Ajedrez is one of FENAMAC’s principal annual tournaments and a central event in Mexican competitive chess. The 71st edition took place from March 31 to April 5, 2026 in Santiago de Querétaro. FENAMAC organized the championship together with the Asociación Queretana de Ajedrez and local sports authorities. The tournament offered multiple competitive sections covering elite players, women, rating groups, and junior age categories. Therefore, it serves both as a major national championship event and as a large open festival for players of different strengths.

🌎 Continental and International Chess

Mexico hosted another major international event from June 1–11, 2026, when FENAMAC joined the Confederation of Chess for the Americas in organizing the XIX American Continental Chess Championship in Oaxtepec, Morelos. The festival incorporated classical, rapid, and blitz chess and brought together leading competitors from across the Americas. Continental events of this scale form an important part of FENAMAC’s international program and also provide Mexican players with opportunities to compete against strong opposition without traveling abroad. Mexico had previously hosted the XVI Women’s Continental Championship of the Americas in 2025, reinforcing the federation’s role in organizing major CCA competitions.

🏆 Aguascalientes 2026

Another major FENAMAC project was the IV Campeonato Nacional e Internacional de Ajedrez “Aguascalientes 2026”, held from August 5–9, 2026 at the Complejo Tres Centurias in Aguascalientes. FENAMAC organized the tournament together with the Government of Aguascalientes, the state sports institute, and the local chess association. The event offered a guaranteed total prize package of MXN 2,050,000, including MXN 1,320,000 in cash prizes. Categories ranged from junior groups through the international section, and official sections carried FIDE validity. The large prize structure and broad category system made Aguascalientes one of the federation’s most substantial national tournament projects of 2026.

🎓 Youth Chess and National Development

FENAMAC maintains a large pathway for young players through state associations, national youth championships, school chess, and the Olimpiada Nacional CONADE. The 2026 CONADE chess competition took place in San Luis Potosí and included a substantial national arbitration and technical team coordinated by FENAMAC. The federation also selects and prepares players for international youth and senior representation. Its work therefore extends from grassroots affiliation and state championships to Pan-American events, world competitions, and the Chess Olympiad. For the 2026 Olympiad, FENAMAC appointed GM José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara as coach and captain of the Open team and WGM Claudia Amura as coach and captain of the Women’s team.

🌟 Upcoming 2026 Activity

FENAMAC’s official calendar remains busy after September 1, 2026. The XV Copa Independencia is scheduled for September 11–16 in Mexico City. The Pan-American Master and Senior Chess Championship follows from October 9–16, while the II Campeonato Nacional de Ajedrez Mazatlán 2026 is scheduled for October 30–November 1. The calendar continues with the XIV Copa Revolución from November 11–16. Consequently, FENAMAC maintains national and international tournament activity throughout virtually the entire year.