Master of the 64 squares

The winner of Nepal’s first women’s chess championship, Monalisha Khamboo, reflects on the many hardships she has faced over the years simply for being a female player.

At a 2010 international chess tournament in Guangzhou, China, Monalisha Khamboo was preparing herself for a game. That’s when someone walked up to her and said, “Chess is a game for smart people.