11-year-old Glasgow girl wins national chess championship
Anika Munshi was crowned the 2025 Scottish Girls Chess Champion following her performance at the competition held in Motherwell last month.
She secured the championship with a score of five wins out of six games and the highest tie-break points.
Read more: Glasgow Science Centre launches 'extensive' summer programme - here's what's on
Anika said: "I'm really proud.
"I started playing in 2021 and was pretty far down the leaderboard at first, but I slowly worked my way up.
"This was my last chance to win in the primary category, so I was really happy to finish on a high."
Anika developed a passion for chess before she could even read, inspired by watching her older brother Aryan - a fellow chess talent who has competed at national and professional levels.
She said: "When I was a baby, my parents used to take me in the pram to my brother's tournaments.
"By the time I was two and a half, I knew the names of all the pieces.
Though her older brother has already established his name in the chess world, Anika credits him as a mentor and motivator in her chess journey, rather than a competitor.
She said: "My brother started properly teaching me when I was five."
"He set a high standard, but I think I'll catch up to him.
'When I was younger, I used to watch my brother learn chess online through various apps and attend chess clubs.
"I'm glad he's there – he was my first teacher, and kind of a stepping stone into this amazing game."
She also credited Lenzie Chess Academy and coach Harry Marron for encouraging her growth as a player.
Anika's skills were sharpened further during lockdowns, when she played extensively on online platforms like lichess.org and chess.com, entering her first graded event at just six years old.
Lockdowns gave her extra time to play online, using platforms like lichess.org and chess.com, with the prodigy playing her first graded event at just six years old.
Reflecting on the wider impact of chess, the Kelvinside Academy pupil said: "It's a strategic game, you have to think logically and plan ahead.
"It helps me think through decisions in real life too, like calculating all the possible outcomes before I act.
"And it teaches you manners, like shaking hands with your opponent, no matter their age.
"There are so many rules: not just for the game, but for how to behave.'
The precocious young player is also passionate about promoting girls in chess, a game where only about 11 per cent of players are female, according to the International Chess Federation.
Read more: Glasgow restaurant launches chess club with pakora and pint deal
Anika said: "I'm really proud to be a girl in chess.
"I think more girls should play, but some don't even try because they think it's boring or takes too long.
'But I think girls are actually really good at it – we're focused, we remember things, we can spot patterns quickly.
'If more schools like my school had clubs and activities, and if girls encouraged their friends to join, I think more would give it a go.
'Not only should girls be encouraged to play chess – everyone should.
'It should be part of every school's curriculum.
"Everyone deserves a chance to discover something they might be amazing at.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Glasgow Times
11-year-old Glasgow girl wins national chess championship
Anika Munshi was crowned the 2025 Scottish Girls Chess Champion following her performance at the competition held in Motherwell last month. She secured the championship with a score of five wins out of six games and the highest tie-break points. Read more: Glasgow Science Centre launches 'extensive' summer programme - here's what's on Anika said: "I'm really proud. "I started playing in 2021 and was pretty far down the leaderboard at first, but I slowly worked my way up. "This was my last chance to win in the primary category, so I was really happy to finish on a high." Anika developed a passion for chess before she could even read, inspired by watching her older brother Aryan - a fellow chess talent who has competed at national and professional levels. She said: "When I was a baby, my parents used to take me in the pram to my brother's tournaments. "By the time I was two and a half, I knew the names of all the pieces. Though her older brother has already established his name in the chess world, Anika credits him as a mentor and motivator in her chess journey, rather than a competitor. She said: "My brother started properly teaching me when I was five." "He set a high standard, but I think I'll catch up to him. 'When I was younger, I used to watch my brother learn chess online through various apps and attend chess clubs. "I'm glad he's there – he was my first teacher, and kind of a stepping stone into this amazing game." She also credited Lenzie Chess Academy and coach Harry Marron for encouraging her growth as a player. Anika's skills were sharpened further during lockdowns, when she played extensively on online platforms like and entering her first graded event at just six years old. Lockdowns gave her extra time to play online, using platforms like and with the prodigy playing her first graded event at just six years old. Reflecting on the wider impact of chess, the Kelvinside Academy pupil said: "It's a strategic game, you have to think logically and plan ahead. "It helps me think through decisions in real life too, like calculating all the possible outcomes before I act. "And it teaches you manners, like shaking hands with your opponent, no matter their age. "There are so many rules: not just for the game, but for how to behave.' The precocious young player is also passionate about promoting girls in chess, a game where only about 11 per cent of players are female, according to the International Chess Federation. Read more: Glasgow restaurant launches chess club with pakora and pint deal Anika said: "I'm really proud to be a girl in chess. "I think more girls should play, but some don't even try because they think it's boring or takes too long. 'But I think girls are actually really good at it – we're focused, we remember things, we can spot patterns quickly. 'If more schools like my school had clubs and activities, and if girls encouraged their friends to join, I think more would give it a go. 'Not only should girls be encouraged to play chess – everyone should. 'It should be part of every school's curriculum. "Everyone deserves a chance to discover something they might be amazing at.'
NBC News
02-06-2025
- NBC News
A move and a bang: Magnus Carlsen drops his first match against India's chess champion
It was the fist slam heard 'round the chess world. Two of the titans of chess — one, the up-and-coming champion versus arguably the greatest player of all time — squared off over the weekend in a game that has drawn attention not just for its result but for the post-game reaction. Magnus Carlsen, the top-ranked chess player in the world, lost for the first time in the classical (think long, complex games) format to Gukesh Dommaraju, the current world champion who at 19 years old is seen as among the game's brightest young stars. The game, which came as part of the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, swung after Carlsen lost a knight, leading to a frantic endgame in which each player had only seconds left on their clocks. With Gukesh in a clearly winning position, Carlsen expressed his frustration in a manner relatable to most anyone who has ever played chess: With a fist to the table. Carlsen then offered a handshake of resignation before standing up and offering another relatable exasperation: "Oh my god," along with an apology. While the game probably wouldn't have made the same waves without Carlsen's reaction, the loss does offer a growing sense of Gukesh's rise. But it also offers some sense of just how dominant Carlsen remains at the age of 34. In an interview immediately after the match, Gukesh detailed his shock at winning the game, which at one point looked hopeless for him. "There wasn't much I could do," he said. "It was just clearly lost, so I was just trying to make moves which were tricky for him, and luckly he got into time scramble." "99 out of 100 times I would lose," Gukesh added. Others in the chess community offered a bit more support for Gukesh's performance. Gukesh also reportedly told that he could relate to Carlsen's reaction: 'I've also banged a lot of tables in my career!' Carlsen retains his title as the top-ranked player by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), which calculates ratings based on performances across sanctioned tournaments. Carlsen is also a five-time world chess champion, a title awarded for winning the game's most presitigious tournament (The Candidates Tournament) and besting the current world champion (or with the current champion beating the winner of the Candidates). Carlsen declined to defend the title in 2022, with China's Ding Liren taking the top spot only to be defeated by Gukesh in 2024. Then only 18, Gukesh became the youngest world champion in history. That has meant something of a natural rivarly between the two. Carlsen has previously praised the Indian phenom, noting recently in an appearance on the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience that Gukesh "works his a-- off all time time" but also is not as strong as some of the shorter time formats that have gained in popularity and prestige in recent years. Along with the embrace of shorter time formats, chess has boomed online, with a boom in coverage and content creators who analyze games in real time and provide plenty of commentary. And with Carlsen still by far the game's top star, a blunder and loss — and reaction — like the one to Gukesh has sparked its own compilations of reactions.
Belfast Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen forced into draw in game against ‘the world'
Billed as 'Magnus Carlsen vs. The World', the online match began on April 4 on the world's largest chess website, and was the first-ever online freestyle game to feature a world champion. The mega-match ended after Team World checked Mr Carlsen's king for a third time, a stunning outcome after had predicted the grandmaster would win by a wide margin. Members of Team World – anyone around the globe could sign up – voted on each move and each side had 24 hours to make their play. Mr Carlsen played the white pieces. The world forced the draw on move 32 after checking Mr Carlsen's king three times in the corner of the board where it could not escape. The rule is called 'threefold repetition', meaning all of the pieces on the board are in the exact same position three times to prompt a draw. Mr Carlsen, 34, became the world's top-ranked player in 2010 at the age of 19 and has won five World Championships. He achieved the highest-ever chess rating of 2882 in 2014 and has remained the undisputed world number one for more than a decade. In a freestyle match, the bishops, knights, rooks, queen and king are randomly placed around the board at the start while the pawns are in their usual spots. Freestyle chess is popular because it allows players to be more creative and avoid memorisation. This was the third 'vs. The World' record-setting online game. In 1999, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov played against more than 50,000 people on the Microsoft Network and won after four months. Last year, Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won his 'vs. The World' match against nearly 70,000 players on In the virtual chat this week, players appeared split on whether to force the draw – and claim the glory – or to keep playing against Mr Carlsen, even if it ultimately meant a loss. 'Don't Draw! Let's keep playing Magnus,' one user wrote. 'This is an opportunity that won't come along again. I'd rather play the Master all the way to the end and see if we can battle it out another 20 or 30 moves! Let's have some FUN!!!' Another added: 'Thanks Magnus for such a great game. We made history.'
