This is IM Rita Atkins (@MathsOnBoard). A strong player, she won the Hungarian Women’s Championship in 1992 with an impressive score of 8/11. Rita holds a degree in Mathematics and Physics, as well as a Diploma of Education, from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, and an MSc in Computing Science from Imperial College London. I can say firsthand that she has been a game-changer since joining FIDE’s Chess in Education Commission, where she now serves as Secretary. Her pedagogical focus is on teaching mathematics and critical thinking through chess. There is so much to criticize about FIDE that we sometimes forget that there are also many wonderful people doing invaluable work there. Rita is one of the great ones.

I had the chance to catch up with WIM Viktorija Ni while in New York City. A true chess globetrotter, she has represented three countries across her career — her native Latvia at the Olympiads in 2008 and 2010, then the United States from 2011, and most recently Norway from 2023. Quite a journey! 🇱🇻🇺🇸🇳🇴 She is also the author of "Winning Chess Exercises for Kids: Tactics", a best-selling chess book on Amazon for young learners, translated into multiple languages. Viktorija is currently based in NYC, where she teaches chess at her own academy: viktorianichessacademy.com