Chess: World No 11, Anish Giri, leads She Plays to Win women to unlikely victory

Newly promoted SPTW were expected to be outclassed in the top division of the 4NCL British League, but proved a revelation She Plays to Win Lionesses, the all-female team which won successive promotions to the first division of Britain’s Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) were expected to be outclassed in the top flight, but instead proved the revelation of the opening weekend of the new season. SPTW wanted to continue without male players in the season’s 2026-27 renewal, but the league stood by its rule, introduced to promote women’s chess, that top division teams must include at least one player of each sex.

SPTW’s manager, IM Lorin D’Costa, who doubles as the England women’s coach, then took the bold step of hiring GM Anish Giri, the Netherlands No 1 and world No 11, for last weekend’s two seasonal opening fixtures. SPTW is a charity whose stated objectives are to help girls and young