11-year-old Glasgow girl crowned 2025 Scottish Girls Primary Chess Champion

Kelvinside Academy pupil Anika Munshi won the 2025 Scottish Girls Chess Championships in Motherwell last month with the highest tie break points and an impressive score of five out of six wins.

The win marked a culmination of years of dedication to the game, and her final chance to win in the Primary category.

Looking back, Anika says: “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.”

Her love of the game began when she was still very young, even before she could read, after years of watching her brother Aryan – also a Scottish chess prodigy who has competed for his country and in pro tournaments – play.

“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. My brother started properly teaching me when I was five.”

With her older brother Aryan already an established name in the chess world, Anika admits he set a high bar playing nationally and internationally – but she sees him as a guide rather than a rival.

“My brother set a high standard, but I think I’ll catch up to him. I’m glad he’s there – he was my first teacher, and kind of a stepping stone into this amazing game.”

She also credits online content and YouTubers for deepening her interest in chess in her early years.

“When I was younger, I used to watch my brother learn chess online through various apps and attend chess clubs. I also joined the Lenzie Chess Academy, which is run by Mr. Harry Marron, where I learned many chess techniques and participated in competitive tournaments at the club. Mr. Marron encouraged me to play the game and to continue working hard at it.

The pandemic gave Anika a unique chance to sharpen her skills.

“During Covid I started playing a lot online using apps and websites like lichess.org and chess.com," she says. “I just kept getting better.

“I like chess because you can always play more and improve. I played my first graded event in 2020 when I was six, and I’ve made so many friends through it.”

She believes chess has taught her far more than just tactics, and it continues to shape how she thinks day to day.

“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.”

According to the International Chess Federation (FIDE), only around 11% of chess players are female, something Anika is keen to see change –and something she takes pride in helping to shift.

“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.”

She feels girls often have natural strengths that suit the game well, they just need the encouragement to try it.

“But I think girls are actually really good at it – we’re focused, we remember things, we can spot patterns quickly.”

To help bring more young players into the game, she believes schools need to offer the right opportunities, and support curiosity from an early age.

Anika suggests: “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. Everyone should get a chance.

“Not only should girls be encouraged to play chess – everyone should,” Anika says.

“It should be part of every school’s curriculum. Everyone deserves a chance to discover something they might be amazing at.”