A shared life project
Patricia Claros is a prominent international chess tournament organiser, originally from Peru and now based in Alicante, Spain. Over the course of her 25-year career, she has been a key figure in the chess world, both nationally and internationally.
She worked as a primary school teacher for 20 years in Trujillo, Peru, before emigrating to Spain. Her move was driven by a “personal search for emotional change”, not by economic reasons. She always felt that her time as a teacher and the education she received from her parents should help her explore another field that had always fascinated her: the organisation of chess events – a field in which she has achieved significant professional success.
For her contributions to the development of chess, the Chess Hall of Fame of the Americas awarded her the Special Prize 2025.
Origins and vocation
Uvencio Blanco Hernández: You worked as a primary school teacher for 20 years in Trujillo. What lessons from that educational stage did you later transfer to the organisation of chess tournaments?
Patricia Claros Aguilar: In the classroom I learned to listen, to read rhythms and to respect processes: each person has their own “times” and “ways”. In tournaments, that translates into clear logistics, comprehensible signage and patience with the nerves, hopes and frustrations of all ages. I also learned to celebrate the “small great” steps – especially for players with a rating under 1900 – because merit is not only about standing on the podium: it’s about daring, improving and returning to the chessboard once and again. Teaching gave me a method, chess gave me a purpose. When both the team and the public feel that, the tournament flows… you want to do it again and again.
What did it mean for you to leave Peru and start from scratch in Spain? What were the biggest emotional and cultural challenges of that transition?
It was both a mourning and an opportunity. I left behind loved ones, habits and the landscape that had shaped me, in order to learn new silences and new ways of saying “I’m with you”. Nostalgia weighed on me, but it pushed me to weave new connections and to look at change with gratitude. I discovered that chess embraces you: it gives you a community when you’re far from home. Today I know that the board can be home, and that starting over is also a way to grow. Over time I understood something profound: Gens una sumus is not just a motto, it’s a way of living. We are one chess family, and thanks to it, I found my place too.
You’ve said you always wanted to organise events. When did you realise that chess could become the ideal field for that passion?
I’ve always been fascinated by organising: fairs, ceremonies, performances. Chess entered my life through my family – my sister and my father – and through school events I saw its educational power: focus, discipline, fair play. I realised that education, family and the chessboard could coexist. Over the years, watching my son Aarón grow into a strong player, organising and officiating with composure, confirmed something profound for me: this is not just a job, it’s a shared life project.
Rise in the chess world
You started as a secretary at the Alicante Chess Club and went on to become a FIDE International Organiser. What skills or attitudes do you think helped you stand out in a competitive and often male-dominated environment?
I grew “from the ground up” with three pillars: preparation, attitude and resilience. I started with humble tasks – setting up rooms, filling forms, pairings – and learned logistics, coordination with arbiters, and the importance of treating families and players with care. My educational background contributed: less confrontation, more structure and empathy. Representing professionalism means serving the game and its people. That approach opened doors for me… and set the bar very high. Since then, I’ve aimed to live up to it in every tournament.
You describe your career as “from the bottom up”. What was the turning point when you felt you had broken into the elite of international organisation?
The turning point came when I became part of an international FIDE-approved event – the Benidorm Festival. Moving up to global standards forces you to take care of invisible details: access, timekeeping, communication with foreign teams, anticipating incidents. Pride and vertigo are felt, but above all, a certainty: from that moment on, excellence was no longer an aspiration, it was the starting point.
What was the most difficult aspect of professionalising communication and press work within the Spanish Chess Federation (FEDA)?
The challenge was moving from reacting to planning: editorial calendars, clear roles, consistent messaging, and coordination with the sporting and arbitral areas. It’s not about publishing more, but about publishing better and with purpose, protecting both individuals and the institution. Professionalisation is a culture: clarity, respect for deadlines, listening and the ability to correct without drama. That builds trust both inside and out.
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Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Forcing moves
International projection
You have worked at tournaments in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. What cultural differences do you find in how chess is organised and experienced in these regions?
Europe offers tradition and structure; the Americas, vibrant diversity and community warmth; Asia, discipline and meticulous care; the Middle East, hospitality and international ambition with top-tier technological logistics. Accents and protocols may vary, but the essence remains the same: 64 squares bringing together effort, respect and shared joy. That universality compels us to live up to it.
You have been part in the organisation of prestigious tournaments such as Gibraltar and the World Senior Championships. What specific lessons did these experiences teach you?
Gibraltar taught me to combine elite competition with warmth: to compete seriously while caring for the human experience. In senior events, I came to understand the tournament as a celebration of a lifetime devoted to the board: organising also means honouring trajectories. When an event is lived that way, sporting results matter, but the memory it leaves behind matters even more.
What organisational mistakes have you seen at international events that you believe should be avoided at all costs?
Chronic lateness erodes trust. Confusing communication – regulations, pairings, appeals – causes unnecessary friction. Neglecting the playing hall (lighting, ventilation, chairs) is unfair to those who have prepared for months. And never sacrifice wellbeing for “spectacle”. To avoid this, I work with an operational checklist: fixed and published schedules, an identifiable hall manager, a single channel for notifications, prior technical tests (clocks, pairings, sound), a visible appeals protocol with deadlines and signatures, and post-round reviews for immediate correction. In short: clear rules, well-maintained playing conditions and a team that takes responsibility. That preserves the trust of players, families and arbiters – and makes everyone want to return.
Women and leadership in chess
As a member of the Commission for Women’s Chess, what obstacles still persist for more women to participate and excel in this sport?
Some stereotypes and a visibility gap still remain, although we’ve made progress: more support, prizes and role models; more women competing, organising, officiating and coaching – many of them mothers too, a powerful example. The key is to open spaces, add allies and showcase talent naturally. When culture changes, everything else follows. One initiative worth noting is that, as part of the efforts to promote women’s effective participation in chess, the Spanish Chess Federation and its Women and Chess Commission introduced a rule requiring every team competing in the Spanish Championships – including professional ones – to field at least one woman. This measure has been gradually implemented across all categories since 2016, achieving two outcomes: first, the participation of young women in elite chess; second, the return of players who might otherwise have retired but continued to play in support of their teams.
In many of your tournaments, you include special prizes for women, regardless of rating. How does the chess community respond to these initiatives?
Recognising effort works: it motivates, builds loyalty and encourages more people to compete. That’s why I also introduced prizes for players rated under 1900 – personal progress deserves attention. The response was immediate and positive; it’s reflected in participation and atmosphere. If I could, I’d give a trophy to everyone. The message is simple: everyone fits here, each with their own path… and their own pace.
You preside over the Dama Negra Club in Alicante, which grew from 47 players in 2016 to over 700 in 2025 in its International Open. What was the key to that exponential growth?
Consistency and a clear idea: from the moment you enter, the tournament should “feel” right – colour, order, joy and elegance. We doubled the categories after listening to families, and it worked. The support of the mayor of San Vicente, the Valencian Chess Federation, arbiters, friends and a dedicated team were crucial. Seeing Aarón roll up his sleeves – playing, organising and officiating when needed – reminds me that chess grows when we all care for it together.
Communication and social media
You have modernised the image of chess on social media. How can chess be presented as an “attractive product” in a digital world dominated by TikTok, Instagram and fast content?
The classical and the modern can coexist. Today, concise storytelling with heart is what matters: clips that show emotion, context and faces; less jargon and more humanity. Before, it was emails and websites; now we add agile formats without losing essence. Describing a position well means telling a story: if the audience understands the decision and what lies behind it, they stay. Consistency, listening and small adjustments make all the difference.
What is the role of chess as a driver of tourism and business for sponsors? Do you think organisers make full use of this potential?
The link between chess and cities activates hotels, restaurants and local commerce. Families travel together, combine playing with discovering the city and create memories that bring them back. Sponsoring chess means investing in education, community and reputation. When an event is well-designed, everyone wins: players, venues, sponsors… and the public.
How important is it today to have a commentator in chess – someone who conveys the story beyond the games themselves?
They are the bridge between the board and the audience. Engines calculate, but people connect. A good storyteller provides context, gives voice to tension, and explains plans and decisions without losing the human touch. Without storytelling, a game is forgotten; with it, it becomes a shared experience. And that’s what makes people want to learn, play and return.
Patricia with her son Aarón
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Critical and personal vision
Chess is currently booming thanks to online platforms, but it also faces problems such as digital cheating. What is your stance on these challenges?
Digitalisation has opened doors but also ethical cracks. The response lies in a combination of education (from the grassroots), clear protocols, fair play technology and a culture of integrity that we all – players, arbiters, organisers – must embrace. Technical excellence means nothing without trust, and there can be no trust without ethics. That is our guiding light.
It is said that chess is conservative and resistant to change. What innovations do you believe are urgent to keep chess appealing in the coming decades?
More festival-style formats (chess plus culture plus family), hybrid experiences with fair play standards, carefully produced audiovisual coverage, readable calendars, open data, global minimum venue standards, introductory programmes for parents with young children, and inclusive, sustainable grants and prizes. To innovate is not to break with tradition, it is to make it friendly and exciting today.
If you could reform one FIDE policy related to organisation and promotion, what would it be?
I would promote a Global Charter of Conditions and Communication: a mandatory checklist (venue, accessibility, sustainability), a press and social media guide for hosts, a crisis protocol and audits. Also, a competitive fund to support open tournaments in emerging regions that meet the standards. One shared language of quality, with diverse cultural accents.
Inspiration and legacy
You are an example of resilience: from migrant teacher to international chess figure. What message would you give to Latin American women who dream of leading on a global stage?
Don’t wait for someone to “lend” you a voice – just take your chances. Start where you are, with what you have, and build networks of support among women and allies who lift and care for one another. There will be fear and nostalgia, yes, but also immense joy when you look back and see the bridge you’ve built. I walked that path, and here I am – with my heart set on serving and opening doors.
How would you like your contribution to chess to be remembered when the history of this era is written?
As that of an organiser who placed people at the centre, who raised the standards of playing conditions and who made chess a welcoming space for families. If I am remembered for bringing together the chessboard, education and empathy – and for having worked side by side with those I love most, including Aarón – I will feel I’ve won my best game. The day we turn off the lights in the hall and still want to return, we’ll know that chess has triumphed: because dignity will remain in the game and human warmth in our memories.
We thank International Organiser Patricia Claros Aguilar for dedicating her time and attention to this interview.
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Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 2…g6
