Supporting girls in chess and math through a network of youth-led local programs and events, all free of cost
Announcements:
Summer 2026
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This May (2026), we partnered with the Unruly Queens, the Dalton School, and US Chess Women to celebrate girl’s chess through our first Inaugural Girl’s Chess Festival!
A few months after the festival’s conclusion, organizers Iris Mou, Kelsey Liu, and Lisa Sun reflected on the event and this experience in the following US Chess Article: https://new.uschess.org/news/free-inaugural-girls-chess-festival-brings-young-players-together! Feel free give the article a read and share it with anyone who may be interested!
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This August (2026), we will be running our first inaugural Girls Chess and Math Summer Camp Series, featuring six hours of fun chess and math activities and instruction over three days (August 24-26)!
View the events page to learn more and register! This event is limited to 20 partipiants.
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Join us at the Bloomingdale Library from 4:00-6:00 PM Weekly on Mondays for open workshops starting on August 10, 2026! We will be set up in the children's area on the 2nd floor; come and go at any time!
We will be going over content day by day. For chess, this may include skittling games, learning new openings, or even just learning how to move the pieces! For math, we're just as flexible: we'll be available for homework review, test prep, enrichment problems, and more. We will give out small goodies for all participants!
Drop-off and pick-up is expected, but we encourage parents/guardians to stay! Walk-ins are welcome, but do try to RSVP early so we can be better prepared to tailor our lessons to your child.
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This July 20th was our two year anniversary! Thank you for your gracious support to our programs during these two years, and we will continue working passionately to bridge the gender gap in chess and math.
The best way you can help us grow is simply by sharing our website, events, and cause with interested students or volunteers!
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Introducing: the new training page! Your kids can submit answers to our quarterly puzzles. All participants will get an entry with a chance to win a small raffle prize at the next month’s workshops by just giving it their best guess - those who get it right win additional entries!
Statistics
Over two years after Iris Mou and Lisa Sun co-founded Rooks and Roots, we are incredibly proud of the impact we have created in and beyond our community.
With your support, we will continue to work towards bridging the gender gap in chess and math!
Students Taught
400+
48
10
Special Events and Programs Ran
Weekly Workshops Held
500+
Hours Dedicated by the team to Our Mission
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We send emails once every few months to open registration for special events and festivals, recap recent programs, and provide general updates/additional resources along our season schedule.
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accessible to all
We offer both in-person and online classes. We also support all levels, so whether you’re completely new or have years of experience under your belt, we can help! And of course, all of our programs are 100% free of cost.
Run BY GIRLS FOR GIRLS
As high-schoolers who were K-6 girls not long ago, we have our own fair share of negative experiences with the lack of gender diversity in chess and math. Run by girls, for girls, we founded Rooks and Roots to help train and support the future generation of girls in male-dominated subjects.
Tailored to you
Our workshops are split by age/skill level, so each lesson offers the appropriate level of challenge for your children. By applying your feedback and individual requests, we are always actively improving our service!
open to all levels!
In all of our programs, our lessons are accommodating to each and every one of your children. In our starting level for aspiring chess players, we teach the basic rules and notation of the game, while preparing them for their first tournaments. For more experienced players, we offer three more levels, up to private/small group lessons for experts and masters! In math, we cover elementary school math all the way up to advanced Middle School competitions, and provide homework help in all sections.
Developing a love for learning
By creating a comfortable, fun, and supportive atmosphere, we help grow your children into confident and engaged learners. Through our workshops, both in-person and online, we hope to create an active community, always cheering them on!
Join the Team!
Are you a female-identifying student passionate about bridging the gender gap in chess and/or math? Join our team now!
We have positions available in social media, marketing, communications, poster design, website design, teaching, logistics, organization, mentorship, management, and more. If your values align with our cause, there is a place for you on our team!