Teaching Strategy.
Building Confidence.
Empowering Girls to Master the World.
She Plays To Win.
Sign UpDiscover Our Programme
She Plays To Win is a charitable initiative helping more girls learn, play and benefit from chess. We support players at every level in UK primary and secondary schools and at university. The programme costs only £42 for the 2025–2026 academic year and includes the benefits below and more.
Want the bigger picture? Read about our work and impact on the Mission page.
Expert Coaching
Online sessions with female coaches. For players rated under 1000 on Lichess.
Monthly Challenges & Prizes
Complete engaging ChessKid activities and earn rewards monthly.
Exclusive Tournaments
Access to SPTW-only online and in-person competitions.
ChessKid Gold Membership
Full access from Sept 2025 to Sept 2026 included with sign-up (value ~£38).
Supportive Community
A welcoming, all-girls space to learn, grow and connect with peers, mentors and friends.
Member Benefits
Enrol Today
Whether you're enrolling one participant or a group, She Plays To Win offers flexible options for families, schools, and clubs.
If you're signing up more than two girls, please contact us for group registration options.
For just £42, any girl attending full-time school in the UK can join She Plays To Win’s 2025–2026 academic programme and unlock expert coaching, tournaments, and more.
Have two girls from the same household or school? Use this option to enrol a second participant with full benefits while using the same email address.
ChessKid Gold Included
With ChessKid, our official learning partner, girls in the SPTW programme can earn stars by completing lessons, watching videos, and playing games while developing their chess skills. The more they engage with the platform, the more stars they can earn, making learning chess a fun and rewarding experience.
There will be exciting monthly challenges, such as solving puzzles and earning stars on ChessKid, with many opportunities to win monthly prizes — including one-to-one chess lessons.
The ChessKid Gold membership runs from September 2025 to September 2026.
The SPTW Development Pathway
Gazelle
Beginners or learning the basics. No rating required. Term-time weekly online training with SPTW coaches.
Learn more
Zebra
Confident players starting to compete. Typical rating ~1000+ ECF (or equivalent). Weekly term-time training sessions.
Learn more
Leopard
4NCL development pathway. Entry ~1300+ ECF (Rapid/Standard). Includes 5 Friday evening sessions with IM Lorin D’Costa.
Learn more
Lioness
Elite performance squad. Starts ~1900+ FIDE. Training with world-class female masters and top-level competition.
Learn moreExplore Our Squads
We offer four levels of squads to support girls at every stage of their chess journey, from complete beginners to national-level competitors. Read below to see where you might fit best.
Gazelle Squad
The Gazelle Squad is ideal for beginners who are brand new to chess or still learning the basics. Most girls in this group are ungraded or have an online rating under 1000. You don’t need to know how to play yet — just bring curiosity and a willingness to learn!
What’s included
Weekly online group sessions led by chess coach Cassie Graham
Lessons on rules, tactics, and strategy
Game analysis to understand mistakes
ChessKid Gold membership Sept 25 - Sept 26
Online tournaments just for SPTW girls across the UK
On-demand video replays
When
Every Tuesday online during term time
Tournament at 5:15 pm, followed by team training from 6:00 to 6:30 pm
Supportive community
Gazelle families can access training links, news, and updates through the member pages. Parents are invited to join our WhatsApp group. It's a helpful, friendly space for questions, advice, and support from others with girls just starting. You can access this link in the member page once you join.
Gazelle Training Dates
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September 16, 23, 30
October 7, 14
November 4, 11, 18, 25
December 2
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January 13, 20, 27
February 3, 10, 24
March 3, 10, 17, 24
April 21, 28
May 5, 12, 19
June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Zebra Squad
The Zebra Squad is for girls ready to take the next step in their chess journey. Most players in this group have some tournament experience or are beginning to compete. A rating of 1000+ ECF (or Lichess equivalent) is typical, and the focus is on improvement and tournament readiness.
What’s included
Weekly online group sessions led by Woman International Master Camelia Ciobanu
Structured lessons to strengthen key tactical and strategic skills
Game analysis and insight during live play
ChessKid Gold membership and monthly competitions
Entry to our online multi-stage tournament with a chance to reach the Athena Finals
On-demand video replays
When
Term time, Wednesdays, 6:30–7:15 pm, with a three-round Lichess tournament (5+3 time control) with Zoom game analysis.
Supportive community
Zebra families stay connected through member pages and our parent WhatsApp group. It’s a friendly space for support and shared advice from others with girls progressing in chess.
Zebra Training Dates
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September 17, 24
October 1, 8, 15
November 5, 12, 19, 26
December 3
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January 14, 21, 28
February 4, 11, 25
March 4, 11, 18, 25
April 22, 29
May 6, 13, 20
June 3, 10, 17, 24
July 1
Leopard and Lioness Squads
Our advanced squads are for girls with strong tournament experience and a serious commitment to competitive play.
Leopard: 4NCL Development
- Entry level ~1300+ ECF (Rapid or Standard)
- Prepares for Lioness B & C teams in the 4NCL
- Five Friday evening sessions with IM Lorin D’Costa (for girls interested in 4NCL - only £10 per session)
- Elite Training Day with titled coaches, and opportunities to train with the lioness squad
Lioness: Elite Performance
- Typically 1900+ FIDE; SPTW’s top competitive squad
- Coaching from world-class female masters
- High-level team play in 4NCL; match preparation
- Eligible for European Women’s Club Cup selection
- Training with grandmasters (such as GM Elisabeth Paehtz in 2025)
University Students
Studying at uni? You can still be part of the SPTW community! Our full programme is free while you're at university. Just click below and fill out the form to join.
Free Programme Access
Join the full SPTW programme at no cost while you're at university.
Elite Training Day + Tournaments
Get access to all SPTW-run tournaments and our Elite Training Day completely free.
Play for the 4NCL Uni Squad
Compete for our uni team. We’ll cover entry fees and shared accommodation.
Train with Lorin
Uni 4NCL Squad will take part in 5 online prep sessions with IM Lorin D’Costa.
University Tournaments
Join our student-only events during the year. Entry is free!
ChessKid Not Included
The university membership does not include ChessKid.
SPTW Multi-Stage Competition
Each year, girls in the SPTW Programme can take part in our exciting three-stage competition. It begins with the Ismini Qualifiers in the autumn — online tournaments that give everyone a chance to play. Top performers move on to the Enyo Semi-Finals, also held online in January and February.
The strongest players will then be invited to the Athena Finals, our flagship in-person tournament held in March 2026. Finalists compete for trophies, awards, and exciting prizes — and the chance to be recognised as one of the top girls in UK chess.
We also run dedicated qualifiers for university students and school teams, including a special university event at Warwick in November.
There are no extra entry fees — everything is included as part of the programme!
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Saturday 7 March 2026
The final stage will take place in person at the London Mindsports Centre. Forty-two players will be invited to compete in this elite event, featuring live boards and exciting prizes. -
January & February 2026
Qualifying players will be invited to Enyo Semi-Final 1 or 2. These will be held online, in a single combined category.The top 40 players across both events will earn a place in the Athena Finals.
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September – December 2025
The first stage of our multi-stage competition. All girls in the programme can take part in one of four Ismini Qualifiers.There will be two tournaments: Primary (U11) and Secondary (U18).
A score of 3/6 or higher in any qualifier grants entry to the Enyo Semi-Finals.A score of 3/6 in any qualifier grants entry to the Enyo Semi-Finals.
Donate My Gold
She Plays To Win is for every UK girl, regardless of her location or financial situation.
If you're signing up for the SPTW programme and don’t need your ChessKid Gold membership, you can donate it to another girl through our scheme. Just tick the ‘Donate My Gold’ box at checkout or contact us directly to let us know.
Scroll down to the FAQs to check if you're eligible for a donated membership.
FAQs
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Nope! Females who are currently studying for an undergraduate, master’s, or PhD degree, or who have recently graduated and are under 28, do not need to purchase a package to participate in SPTW.
However, they need to complete the form to indicate whether they want to participate in any events or training.
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No, Chesskid is designed with younger and older kids in mind. Whether she is 4 or 14, she can benefit from suitable content, including favourites such as puzzles, game analysis, and much more.
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No, Chesskid is rich with tools for all levels of chess. There are beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, which are regularly updated with new features added. Here is a guide to the Chesskid features.
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The charge remains £42, but you are welcome to donate your Chesskid Gold membership via our ‘Donate my Gold’ plan.
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All applications, along with any evidence provided, are handled with complete confidentiality.
Girls in receipt of, or whose parents/carers receive, one or more of the following benefits:
• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
You can apply to our programme at no cost if this pertains to your circumstances. Please follow this link to apply.
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She Plays To Win is for EVERY UK girl, regardless of location in the UK or socio-economic background. To help with this, SPTW provides eligible girls with a free package. We kindly ask parents to apply in confidence by clicking here.
All applications, along with any evidence provided, are handled with complete confidentiality.
SPTW's primary mission is to offer all girls the chance to get involved, learn, play, and benefit from chess.
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We encourage girls to continue their chess learning journey. While it may take work for some, the benefits of chess are enormous!
Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds for this programme, which includes access to the paywall content and a ChessKid membership.
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No problem! Please get in touch by clicking here, and we will be happy to help.
