Only 1% of the top 100 chess players in the world are women, a stark statistic that mirrors another glaring gender gap: women occupy just 6% of global CEO positions.
This striking parallel between the chess world and corporate leadership inspired 24-year-old chess phenom Ashley Priore to launch a mission: to teach more women the game of chess and empower them to harness its lessons to rise into leadership roles both in the workplace and in life.
Closing the Gender Gap Through Chess
Priore’s journey in chess began at home, where she learned the game at age four by watching her brothers play. It became clear that chess was a male-dominated field, particularly at tournaments, where she and her sister were often the only girls competing among hundreds of boys.
She vividly remembers one match during which she overheard her male opponent disparage her –saying it would be a quick win. She proved him wrong and won in 15 moves.
Priore continued to excel and began teaching chess. As a teacher, she observed a recurring theme: while boys were eager to play, their sisters were often absent from the game.
This contrast drove Priore to focus her efforts on introducing more women to chess, not only as a game but as a tool for success in life. At just 14 years old she formed Queens Gambit, a national nonprofit that – ten years later – continues to inspire young women and girls to compete and use the game for self-empowerment.
Her Project D4 is a recently launched initiative that aims to teach one million women the game of chess. This, she believes, will provide women with the strategic tools they need to take risks, build confidence and advance their careers.
Priore is also the founder of Queenside Ventures, a consulting firm that uses the lessons from chess to help with leadership development and player and youth retention. Priore builds partnerships with organizations to integrate chess into their leadership development programs to help people find their power and influence.
Chess in the NFL: A New Kind of Mental Training
One organization with which Priore has found real success is the National Football League. Always a fan of football, Priore knew her experience on the board would make her uniquely qualified to empower players on the field.
Priore has worked with several NFL teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, to teach rookies how to play chess—and more importantly, how to use its lessons on the field. She uses chess strategies to teach players how to make adjustments on the fly, read opponents, take calculated risks and thrive in uncomfortable environments.
“One of the most common things I hear from these players is, ‘Chess makes me think in ways I never have before,’” she says. “That’s what I’m all about—getting people to think in new ways.”
Priore is thrilled to see how popular chess has become among NFL players. The Buccaneers keep chess boards lined up in their locker room and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow keeps a chess set in his locker to use as part of his pre-game ritual. “Chess is fun,” Burrow told reporters at a news conference. “It’s very strategic, and you have to plan all your moves.”
NFL superstars even go head-to-head each year in the BlitzChamp competition, a charity chess “Superbowl” to find football’s top chess player. Kansas City Chiefs’ safety Justin Reid was crowned this year’s winner.
“It’s cool to see the players embracing chess,” says Priore. “I know they’re learning really cool strategies that are going to help them win.” In fact, Priore says that every team she worked with last season made the NFL playoffs.
The 5 Lessons of Chess That Can Advance Your Career
Whether working with young girls, executive women or NFL rookies, Priore teaches that chess imparts five important lessons:
- Adaptability: In chess, you always have a plan, but the game is unpredictable. The ability to pivot when circumstances change is crucial—just as it is in business and in life.
- Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Chess players are faced with complex problems that require them to visualize solutions and consider multiple approaches. Similarly, in the workplace, effective decision-making comes from carefully weighing options and understanding how each decision impacts the bigger picture.
- Patience and Persistence: In a world where instant gratification is the norm, chess teaches the value of patience. Moves in chess must be timed carefully, and sometimes waiting for the right moment is the key to success.
- Strategy and Tactics: Priore emphasizes that long-term goals are only achievable through short-term tactical decisions. “In life, you think about where you want to be in five or ten years,” says Priore. “In chess, it could be in five or ten moves. It’s about understanding the process and creating a plan for success.”
- Planning Ahead: Anticipating both your own mistakes and those of others—and knowing how to capitalize on them—is a critical skill in chess and business alike. “Seeing someone else’s mistake means nothing if you can’t capitalize on it,” she says.
As Priore continues to break down barriers in the chess world she is proving that chess is much more than a game. It’s a tool for leadership, empowerment, confidence and success. Whether teaching women to take risks in the corporate world or helping NFL rookies hone their mental agility, Priore is proving that the lessons of chess can lead to winning outcomes, both on and off the board.
Ready to learn the game? Go to chess.com for free lessons and online play!