On 22 February 2026, we hosted a special online session titled Thinking Sideways, Confidence and Chess with WGM Jennifer Shahade, that brought together girls from around the world for two hours of learning, inspiration and competition.
The event was part of our Cross Culture Girls Program, which currently engage 700+ girls from 22 countries, including Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, Colombia, Botswana, Zambia, Ghana, Grenada, St. Lucia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Brazil, Tanzania, Czech Republic, Nigeria, Morocco, Turkey, England, Egypt and the USA. The girls meet online every month for chess training, cultural exchange, confidence-building sessions and tournaments, guided by grandmasters and inspiring female role models with diverse and accomplished backgrounds.
The session was led by two-time U.S. Women’s Champion Jennifer Shahade, who shared insights from her book Thinking Sideways, focusing on developing confidence and resilience at the chessboard. She encouraged the participants to trust their decisions, embrace creative thinking, and approach tournaments with courage. The event concluded with a 4 round blitz tournament (3+2 time control) on Chess.com, where the top three players received copies of her e-book, along with a wildcard prize winner. After some exciting games the tournament was won by Sunshine Girl who scored 3,5 out of 4.
