UK’s All-Female Chess Team Faces Mixed-Team Rule After Promotion

She Plays to Win Lionesses A, the United Kingdom’s only all-female chess squad, earned promotion from the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) second division to the top tier. Upon reaching the first division, the league’s mixed-team rule obliges every team to roster at least one player of each gender, meaning the Lionesses must replace one of their eight female players with a man. The team argues this threatens the camaraderie they built and could deter female participation in chess, a sport where women comprise roughly 11 % of top-rated players.

The Guardian

The 4NCL, covering England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, instituted the gender-balance requirement when the top division was created in 1994. League officials maintain that the rule “encourages female participation” by guaranteeing a female presence on every first-division roster. A survey of team captains during the 2025/2026 season reportedly showed no significant appetite for changing the rule, and the league contends there is no evidence the requirement discourages women from playing.

The Guardian

Team founder Lorin D’Costa, who launched She Plays to Win during the Covid pandemic, said the promotion validates the squad’s merit and that forcing a male addition “undermines that.” Players stress the importance of a supportive environment: the team’s regular dinners and shared experiences have fostered a sense of belonging that they fear will be lost if the rule is applied.

The Guardian

He argued that eliminating the requirement would discourage female participation rather than promote it.

The Guardian

• “I knew I was only there to fulfil the quota as a woman, and there wasn’t that sense of community,” — Alisha Vyas

The Guardian

• “Being part of She Plays to Win is amazing – we have team dinners every time, and there’s real camaraderie between the girls.” — Emily Maton

The Guardian

• “We’ve had people tell us we don’t deserve to be in this division, that we’re not good enough. We got to the top proving everyone wrong – and now this undermines that.” — Mike Truran

The Guardian