From the European Women's Chess Championship

Women play chess in fairly large numbers in Europe. Who would have known.......photo is from the ongoing European Women's Chess Championship being held in Slovakia.

An Opportunity To Weaken or Replace FIDE?

From the following articlehttps://en.chessbase.com/post/makropoul ... -president
"....In a blow to Kirsan Ilymzhinon, the Presidential Board called for his immediate resignation as president. After the meeting, Georgios Makropoulos announced his candidacy as FIDE president. |.....Open warFor a long time, there have been increasing calls for Ilymzhinov not to stand for re-election at the next FIDE Congress in Batumi, although he has repeatedly stated his intention to do so. Now, he as officially lost the support of nearly the entire Presidental Board, who released the following resolution yesterday:
In the light of: 
a) The imminent withdrawal of FIDE’s banking facilities by UBS, 

b) The inability of FIDE to obtain replacement banking facilities while you remain nominal President and 

c) subject to US Treasury Department sanctions, 

d) The consequent severe difficulties facing FIDE in funding its obligations and its commitments to the chess family, 

e) The adverse publicity that reflects badly on FIDE’s reputation and undermines the confidence of all those who are or would be involved in chess, 
That in the interests of the organisation: 
You should resign with immediate effect......."

We have an American slated to play a match for the WCC in November. The financial situation of FIDE and the candidacy of a Kirsan long-time crony for FIDE President may present opportunities for weakening or replacing FIDE. All it may take is money and willpower focused on the match in November.