Queens United Chess Partners With ChessKid!
ChessKid, part of Chess.com, empowers kids to learn the timeless game of chess on the world’s #1 chess site for kids! With over 2 million users, ChessKid is the leader in scholastic chess. ChessKid strives to use the game as a force for positive impact in the world, and it boasts a fully curated curriculum, video content, and Level Progression system.
ChessKid is working with Queens United Chess in utilizing the classroom curriculum in schools across the city, offering free mentorship to girls who reach "Queen Level 9" of the ChessKid Curriculum, and recruiting Ambassadors to join the Queens United team. Read more about our partnership in the original article published on the ChessKid website here.
Queens United announces a partnership with ChessKid to increase overall chess awareness, especially among females.
Only 1 in 7 competitive chess players in the United States are female. A major barrier to female representation in chess is the lack of sustained community, and Queens United Chess aims to address this through programs supporting girls at all age levels and increasing the accessibility of chess. Queens United Chess is partnering with ChessKid to foster the growth of long-term female engagement in chess, in addition to creating a pipeline of future leaders through chess.
Queens United Chess was founded in December of 2019 by Lizzy Brahin, currently an incoming freshman at Harvard College, and Maggie Tsyganova, now a rising junior at Walter Payton College Prep High School in Chicago. The student-run organization bridges the gender divide in chess and empowers female high school chess leaders through their free co-ed introductory chess lessons, weekly Girl Power Chess Clubs, and high school leadership councils, all of which are female high school student-led.
Lizzy and Maggie both entered the realm of competitive chess in elementary school, but attended weekend-long tournaments to find only one or two other girls. They noticed the lack of female representation in chess and its effect on their own chess performance and confidence.
With few female role models to look up to, many of their female friends discontinued their involvement in chess after middle school. This left Lizzy and Maggie to represent two of the handful of female competitive chess players in their entire public school district in Chicago, which happens to have more than 100,000 high school students. By partnering with ChessKid, they hope to make chess accessible to all by reaching not only younger boys in chess, but girls too, and encourage them to retain their interest in chess throughout high school and beyond.
Lizzy Brahin (left) and Maggie Tsyganova (right), Co-Founders of Queens United Chess.
ChessKid and Queens United Chess are collaborating to create a thriving community of female chess leaders and young chess players from underserved communities, which has started as a local effort with Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Queens United Chess joined forces with the CPS Academic Chess program to develop the CPS Chess Queens program, where Queens United Ambassadors have taught over 120 students at five underserved public schools during the first half of 2021. Advancing the mission of increasing chess accessibility in local communities, Queens United Chess has used ChessKid as their primary platform and curriculum for their introductory chess lessons. Queens United will continue to use ChessKid in their weekly Girl Power Club and introductory chess lessons in the upcoming school year, and ChessKid will provide gold memberships for this cause.
Screenshot from an introductory chess lesson.
The ChessKid analysis board is also very useful for online lessons.
ChessKid and Queens United Chess will work together to build community by developing and promoting fun and engaging chess content, activities, and local events for beginners in chess. Addressing the high female attrition rate in chess, they are also building a Mentorship Program to encourage high school girls to continue their involvement in chess. Once a girl at the introductory chess level reaches Queen Level 9 of the ChessKid Curriculum, they are eligible for mentorship by a Queens United Ambassador. Under the Mentorship Program, Queens United High School Ambassadors will serve as role models for younger girls in chess and beyond.
Students participating in the end-of-program tournament held via ChessKid.
Queens United Chess is always looking to welcome more female high school chess players to join their team, as well as youth to join the Queens United community through introductory chess lessons at schools, tournaments, and/or the weekly Girl Power Club. More information about upcoming summer and fall opportunities can be found at queensunitedchess.org or on the Queens United Instagram page @queens_united_chess. By partnering with ChessKid, Queens United Chess is excited to further propel its mission of advancing girls’ involvement in chess and empowering youth to serve as leaders in their communities.
With over 2 million users, ChessKid is the leader in scholastic chess. Part of the ChessKid mission is to use the game as a force for positive impact in the world. If you have a chess idea or story that captures this, we would love to hear about it at liam@chesskid.com.
