Most chess fans might not have heard this story, and it's a good one.
She Plays To Win Lionesses A is a team built around girls and young women that has won its first match in the top division of the UK's national chess league. They beat The Sharks 2 by 6-2. According to OnTheQueenside, a Twitter account that covers women's chess, it is the first time a women's team has won a match at this level of the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL).
The 4NCL brings together teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and its top division includes grandmasters and former British champions.
She Plays To Win entered its first female-only squad in November 2022, the first time an all-female squad had played in the league. The charity is led by England Women's Coach IM Lorin D'Costa and exists to help girls and young women in the UK play chess.
The Lionesses won Division 3 one season, then won Division 2 on the final weekend of the following season, edging past The Sharks 2, who had led going into the last match. That put them in Division 1.
But getting promoted created a problem for Lionesses. The 4NCL requires every team in its top division to include at least one male and one female player. The rule was meant to encourage women to play. In Division 2, the Lionesses had been allowed to field an all-women lineup, as long as one player was under 18.
The Lionesses needed a man on the team. Enter Anish Giri. He is the only man in the team lineup, and one of the strongest players in the world. He played top board and won.
OnTheQueenside shared the news in a tweet with a fun graphic that put Anish beside the team photo with the line "He also plays to win!"
twitter.com/i/status/2109296903712063548
