Launching the Queens United Chess Podcast on Spotify!
In honor of Women’s History Month 2023, we are excited to launch the official Queens United Chess podcast on Spotify! Follow and listen to our first episode here: https://open.spotify.com/show/5l8zVcoLhOwoKkIN69roux.
Episode 1: Meet Queens United Co-Founder Maggie Tsyganova
Maggie Tsyganova
Maggie Tsyganova is the Co-Founder & President of Queens United as well as a very successful and greatly inspirational chess player. She is a senior at Walter Payton, where she is the co-captain of the chess team! She was the champion of the ICA Youth Invitational 2022 Tournament for Girls K-12, and continued on to represent Illinois at the Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions. She is also very involved at her school and plays on the badminton team and is a member of the Economics and Investment team.
Chess Career:
Maggie started playing competitively around 6 years ago and was inspired by her dad, a chess master. Growing up in Chicago, she competed in several tournaments and was influenced and inspired by the several other chess players who also took part in these tournaments. She has had an extremely successful chess career and currently is the highest ranked female in Illinois in her age group. Being one of the best females of her age in Chicago, and being President of Queens United, she truly is an inspiration to all girls.
Journey with Queens United:
Maggie started Queens United in the winter of 2019 with co-founder Lizzy Brahin. She started teaching in person at CPS schools and when the pandemic forced students to go virtual, she didn’t let that stop Queens United. Maggie, along with the Queens United team, started virtual lessons and a girls club, reaching hundreds of students across Chicago. She connected high school and junior high girls in chess across the country through Queens United’s ambassador program!
With her help, Queens United has partnered with important organizations such as Chicago Chess Foundation, ChessKid, US Chess Women’s Girls Club, and even helped Chicago Public Schools’ Academic Chess form Chess Queens, a program that helps Queens United reach more kids!!
Maggie’s Impact
Maggie hopes to impact as many as 10,000 students nationally with Queens United and also hopes that with Queens United’s growth, female high schoolers nationally can connect with each other! Her biggest piece of advice to young girls in chess is to not be scared, to find friends in chess, play tournaments and keep at it if you find it fun!
Maggie Tsyganova, a prosperous and community-involved female high school chess player, has forever impacted not only the Chicago chess community, but female ambassadors across the country. To learn more about Maggie, tune in to our official Queens United Chess Podcast to hear the full episode!
