Damaris Abarca
Damaris Abarca | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 27, 1990 Rancagua, Chile |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, chess player |
| Known for | Member of the Chilean Constitutional Convention; five-time Chilean women's national chess champion; former president of the Chess Federation of Chile |
Damaris Nicole Abarca González (born 27 February 1990) is a Chilean politician and accomplished chess competitor. She has claimed the women's national chess championship title five times and previously held the position of president of the Chess Federation of Chile. Since 2021, Abarca has been serving as a member of the Constitutional Convention.
Early life and education
Abarca was born in Rancagua, Chile, and spent her early years in Rosario before relocating to Rengo at age 15. During this time, she became an influential student leader in the 2006 Penguins' Revolution protests.
She enrolled at the University of Chile, initially studying Philosophy before transitioning to Law. However, her legal education was interrupted in 2011 due to a lupus diagnosis.
Chess career
Her introduction to chess came through watching her father teach her older brothers, which led her to participate in their games during childhood. By age 13, she had secured victory in a local tournament and subsequently earned titles as Chile’s youth champion across under-14, under-16, and under-18 divisions. In 2009, she completed referee training for the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Mexico.
At 20 years old, Abarca became Chile’s female chess champion across all ages and qualified for the 39th Chess Olympiad held in Russia. Two years later, she was awarded the Woman FIDE Master (WFM) designation in Istanbul.
Abarca is an active proponent of feminist initiatives and gender equity within chess. She contributes to the International Chess Federation’s Commission dedicated to Women’s Development in Latin America. Additionally, she co-established the Chilean Women's Chess Players' Association and has presided over it since 2017, focusing on expanding opportunities for women and girls. In 2018, she broke new ground as the first woman to lead the Chess Federation of Chile.
Her victories at the National Women's Chess Championship came in 2018 and again in 2023, securing her spots at the 44th and 45th Chess Olympiads respectively—the latter marking her seventh straight participation. Since 2020, she has directed Ajedrez por un sueño ("Chess for a Dream"), a program within Fundación ECAM in Chile.
Political career
In the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election, Abarca ran as an independent candidate representing district 15 under the banner of Social Convergence within the Apruebo Dignidad coalition and was successfully elected. Within the Convention, she serves on the Provisional Ethics Commission and co-coordinates the Fundamental Rights Commission alongside Matías Orellana from the Socialist Collective.
External links
- Damaris Abarca Gonzalez player profile at ChessBase