𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 part 2

“When The Queen’s Gambit came out, loads of people got into chess, and I was one of them.”

Remember Andrew’s story, ‘Like father, like daughter’? We promised to be continued, and here it is, as seen from the daughter’s perspective. Parents and children often have different perspectives on life. But how you step into each other’s worlds and support one another through the different stagesthat’s something many parents would love to understand.

What started as curiosity quickly became something more. Inspired by the series, and nudged by a playful challenge from her dad (who bet that none of his children could beat him) Megan picked up the game with determination. A few months later, she proved him wrong. But the real win wasn’t the betit was discovering a genuine love for chess: “Instead of just taking the money, I realised I genuinely enjoyed it, not just winning, but improving and understanding the game more deeply.”

She didn’t stop there. Day by day, game by game, she kept improving, playing consistently. She plays daily on chess.com, competing in congresses and leagues, and steadily building her confidence. The results followed: a perfect score at the HCA Congress, winning the Gillian Moore Cup, and representing England’s B team in Scotland.

She made history too becoming the first female champion at Basingstoke Chess Club. “I’ve won the Basingstoke Ladies Championship, and I was also the first female to win the Charles Henshaw tournament in the under 1600 section out of 24 players. I’ve even had a couple of opportunities to run simultaneous games for junior players, which I really enjoyed.”

Beyond the trophies, chess reshaped how she thinks: sharpening focus, strengthening decision-making, and teaching resilience “chess taught me how to deal with losing and improving at the same time.”

“It’s become a big part of my life, and something I’m really motivated to keep pushing further.”

Thank you for your words, Megan. Your journey is truly inspiring and can encourage young people to chase their dreams.