CSC and SPTW run girls’ tournament in Marylebone

CSC is always keen to encourage more girls to play chess. A key reason for us running chess lessons during curriculum time is to encourage all children to enjoy the game. Girls perform at least as well as boys in our lessons and we are hopeful that this success will lead to more balanced after-school clubs, many of which are currently dominated by boys.

We were therefore delighted to team up with She Plays To Win, a charitable organisation run by IM Lorin D’Costa, and St Marylebone CE School, a leading comprehensive school in Westminster, to run a tournament just for girls. The event was aimed at girls who had not competed in a chess tournament before - for many of the participants it was their first experience of using clocks or playing under the touch-move rule.

In total, over 50 girls from across London signed up to play, competing in one of two sections, for primary and for secondary pupils. The participants played five games of chess, with the gaps between the rounds interspersed with some coaching from Lorin and a football match in the school’s playground. The games were competitive, but played in a notably supportive manner, and the standard of chess was excellent.

Our congratulations to the winners: Bea (secondary) and Iris (primary), and to everyone who took part in a really enjoyable day. A huge thank you to Mr Ford, a teacher at St Marylebone, for organising and hosting the event, and to our excellent student volunteers, Clem, Nina, Julia, and Florence. We are already looking forward to growing the event next year!