Queenside Ventures

09/10/2026

09/09/2026

What if you could train your mind to make better decisions?

Ashley Lynn Priore, our Founder & CEO, was recently featured on Kinship Kollective’s Built For This: Stories of a Maverick podcast to talk about how chess became a framework for the way she approaches leadership, strategy, and decision-making.

The conversation explores Ashley’s journey from competitive chess to entrepreneurship, why slowing down can lead to stronger decisions, and how she now brings chess-based strategic thinking into her work with athletes, executives, teams, and leaders.

As Ashley shares in the episode: “Not making a decision is making a decision.”

Read more on the Queenside Ventures blog and listen to the full episode.

09/08/2026

A reminder that the Pittsburgh Women’s Chess Club is back on Thursday, September 10 at Happenstance Café. ♟️

All experience levels are welcome. Come play, learn, and connect with other women through chess.

We’ll see you there!

09/03/2026

09/01/2026

Women in Chess You Should Know: Tan Zhongyi ♟️

Tan Zhongyi has been one of the strongest women in chess for more than a decade and she just added another major title to her career.

The Chinese Grandmaster started playing chess at six and quickly emerged as a standout young player, winning the World Youth U10 Girls Championship twice and the U12 Girls Championship the following year.

In 2017, Tan became Women’s World Chess Champion, defeating Anna Muzychuk in the final and earning the Grandmaster title. She has remained among the world’s elite ever since, winning the 2022 Women’s World Rapid Championship and the 2024 Women’s Candidates Tournament.

And now, she has made history again.

Last week, Tan won the 2026 Cairns Cup in St. Louis with 6.5/9, finishing ahead of an elite international field. It was her second Cairns Cup victory after also winning in 2024 - making her the first player ever to win the tournament twice.

Her career is a reminder that staying at the top of chess is its own kind of achievement.

Nearly a decade after becoming World Champion, Tan Zhongyi is still winning some of the biggest tournaments in women’s chess.

08/25/2026

Women in Chess You Should Know: Bodhana Sivanandan ♟️

Bodhana Sivanandan started playing chess at five years old after discovering the game during lockdown.

Six years later, she is already rewriting the record books.

At 10, Bodhana became the youngest player ever to earn a Woman Grandmaster norm and the youngest girl to defeat a grandmaster in classical chess. She also became the youngest-ever Woman International Master.

Now 11, she has gone even further.

This summer, Bodhana became Britain’s youngest-ever women’s chess champion, securing the title with a decisive knight sacrifice under intense time pressure. She has also risen to become Britain’s top-rated female player and earned the FIDE Master title.

Her rise recently caught the attention of The Wall Street Journal, which profiled Bodhana as one of the most extraordinary young talents in the game. And what makes her story even more remarkable is how quickly it is still unfolding.

She is not simply a young girl succeeding in chess.

She is competing with - and beating - some of the strongest players in the game, regardless of age or gender.

Bodhana is already changing what the next generation of women in chess can imagine.

08/20/2026

08/18/2026

Pittsburgh women, this one is for you. ♟️

Join us on Mondays at Happenstance Café for an evening of chess, conversation, and community.

Whether you have played for years, are just learning, or simply want to meet other women interested in the game, you are welcome at the board.

No experience required. Just come ready to play, learn, and think a few moves ahead.

Mondays | 6:00–8:00 PM
Happenstance Café
Register at queensideventures.com

08/13/2026

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