About us
Girls start chess in almost equal numbers and disappear from the board by middle school. Eighth Rank Chess exists to change where that line ends.
The gap
Participation begins relatively evenly, but the share of girls declines as students get older. Research suggests that the gap is not about ability, but about participation and retention.
Eighth Rank Chess was founded to address this gap by creating more opportunities for girls to learn, compete, and grow through chess — while remaining open to children and adults of all skill levels.
18% → 11%
In a cohort of roughly 32,000 US Chess players followed over nine years, the proportion of girls fell from 18 percent to 11 percent.
Li, Glickman & Chabris, CHANCE (2025)
About 2%
Share of open Grandmaster titles held by women.
FIDE title records, 2025
Same rate
Girls and boys who start at the same age and rating improve at the same rate. The gap is participation and retention, not ability.
Li, Glickman & Chabris, CHANCE (2025)
Mission
Retention is the metric that matters.
Almost every girl who leaves chess leaves quietly, between one term and the next. We design around that moment: small groups, the same coach each week, a friend already in the room, and a term that ends with something to be proud of.
We track how many girls come back after a term rather than only how many sign up for the first session, and we use that measure to evaluate the program.
A club is a social place before it is a competitive one.
A girl who is the only girl in the room is doing two things at once: learning chess and managing being the exception. Our girls-focused sessions remove the second job so all of her attention goes to the first.
Open events sit alongside them so nobody is separated from their friends, their brother or their school team.
The pipeline problem is a coaching problem.
Most scholastic coaches are men, which means most girls have never been taught the game by a woman. We recruit strong club players, alumnae and classroom teachers, and put them through a documented certification pathway rather than an informal apprenticeship.
Every coach we certify can run our curriculum somewhere we are not.
Approach
Four commitments that shape every session we run.
Eighth Rank Chess creates welcoming chess environments that encourage girls to participate, build confidence, and develop their skills. Our programs are open to all children, while placing special emphasis on increasing opportunities for girls in chess. We provide a supportive environment where students can learn, practice, compete, and grow together.
Every session follows a structured curriculum with clear learning objectives, age- and skill-appropriate instruction, and carefully selected chess exercises and puzzles. Our goal is to create a consistent educational experience that does not depend on one individual coach and can be implemented across different program locations.
We introduce students to competition step by step. Students begin with practice games and friendly in-club activities, then progress to matches with other students and partner programs, followed by local tournaments and more advanced competitive opportunities. This approach helps children build confidence and develop practical tournament skills without unnecessary pressure.
We track student participation, attendance, skill development, tournament participation, and chess rating progress whenever available. We also gather feedback from families and students to understand what is working and where the program can improve. These results help us continuously refine our curriculum and demonstrate the impact of the program.
Next
Building a model that can grow with every student.
Our long-term goal is to expand access to quality chess education through a structured four-stage curriculum designed to help students build their skills step by step — from foundational chess knowledge to tactics, strategy, and competitive play.
Eighth Rank Chess is a girls-first chess program, while remaining open to all children. As the program grows, we will continue developing the curriculum, teaching materials, and partnerships that create more opportunities for girls and other young players to learn, participate, and grow through chess.
Eighth Rank Chess began in Chicago through chess instruction and educational activities with children. This early work highlighted the need for accessible, structured chess education and greater opportunities for girls to participate and continue developing their skills.
Building on this experience, Eighth Rank Chess was formally established as an organization and launched its structured chess curriculum and educational programs. The program supports students from foundational chess skills through tactics, strategy, openings, and tournament preparation, with a special focus on creating more opportunities for girls while welcoming students of all skill levels.
Eighth Rank Chess will expand access to its programs through partnerships with schools, libraries, chess clubs, and community organizations, creating additional opportunities for students to learn, compete, and develop through chess.
Eighth Rank Chess will continue expanding its educational programs and developing a scalable model that can be implemented in additional communities through trained coaches and institutional partnerships.
Questions
Eighth Rank Chess places a special focus on creating more opportunities for girls in chess, while remaining open to children of all skill levels.
No. Our programs include a beginner stage for students who are completely new to chess, as well as more advanced stages for students who already have experience playing.
Our curriculum develops chess skills step by step — from board fundamentals and basic tactics to openings, strategy, game planning, and tournament preparation. Students learn not only how to play, but how to think, make decisions, and grow through chess.
Get involved
Whether you’re a student, parent, coach, school, community organization, or supporter, there’s a way to get involved. We will reply within two business days with the next concrete step.