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We help girls achieve their chess dreams
Twitter: @girlsinchess
Founded in New York City, our organization is dedicated to breaking down gender barriers in the world of chess, empowering girls to take on challenges both on and off the board. We believe that the chessboard should be a level playing field, where strategy, intelligence, and determination are the true markers of success—not gender. Our mission is to create an inclusive environment that encourages girls and young women to not only participate in women-only tournaments but to also compete in open tournaments alongside their male peers, thus challenging chess as it exists today.
Our approach focuses on education and mentorship, and we provide promising young female talents with the coaching they need to succeed. Our chess lessons are led by top-rated players in the field and experienced coaches who serve as role models, demonstrating that success in chess is achievable regardless of gender. These coaches provide guidance, support, and inspiration, helping these girls to navigate the challenges of competitive play while building confidence in their abilities.
We hope to one day dismantle fully the barriers between females and males in chess by encouraging FIDE to remove women’s-only tournaments and instead have both boys and girls play together in open tournaments from the moment they start out in chess. Currently, according to Chess.com, only 13% of USCF players are women, and only 11% of FIDE players are women. Through our efforts, we hope to increase that number significantly.
Our Members
Elian Sonnenberg
Elian Sonnenberg is the founder of Girls in Chess. He was inspired to start this organization because as a chess player himself, he witnessed first-hand the division between men and women in the chess field. He is eager to begin supporting young, talented girls, in achieving their dreams.
Amélie Acevedo
Amélie Acevedo is currently a student at Barnard College studying both Psychology and Human Rights. She is deeply committed to breaking down gender barriers in traditionally male-dominated fields, and she is excited to be a member of a foundation that gives girls the tools to excel with confidence.
Who Should Consider Applying?
Any girls based in the United States, between the ages of 6-11, are invited to apply.
We encourage applications from hardworking young girls who have shown promise in chess through prior tournament results, and are seeking to improve their results further. We are looking for the players that are both eager to learn as well as resilient, and willing to put in the time it takes to achieve their goals.
Application
- Section 1
- What is your name?
- What is your age (in years and months?)
- Where are you from?
- How long have you been playing chess?
- What is your current USCF rating? How many USCF-rated tournaments have you played in?
- Do you have a FIDE rating?
- How much time ( in hours) have you dedicated weekly to chess (outside of tournaments)?
- Do you play chess online? What platform do you use (Chess.com, lichess, etc.)? What is your username?
- Do you have a chess coach? How many hours of chess coaching have you received?
Please provide answers to the questions above in the form of a Google Doc or PDF, and email it to girlsinchessorg@gmail.com
girlsinchess.com 