The UK's only all-female chess team, She Plays to Win Lionesses A Team, has been promoted to the top tier of the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL). However, the team has been informed they must now add a male player to their squad.
The 4NCL's first division rules state that all teams must have at least one player of each gender on their roster. This requirement means She Plays to Win may have to drop one of their eight female players to accommodate a man.
Lorin D’Costa, founder of She Plays to Win, said the team's reward for promotion is "losing the thing that makes them special." Players, including Alisha Vyas and Emily Maton, have expressed concerns that the rule would damage team camaraderie and discourage female participation, arguing that the team was promoted on its own merit.
Mike Truran from 4NCL stated that the top division has been a mixed-team competition since 1994, requiring a mix of males and females. He added that a survey of team captains during the 2025/2026 season showed no significant desire to change the rule, but the league remains open to future changes if opinions shift.