In this episode, we sit down with Lishen Mentile, widely known as the "Chess Queen" of Namibia. From her first introduction to the game in Grade 2 at Eros Primary School to becoming a Woman Candidate Master (WCM) and a tireless advocate for the sport, Lishen shares her journey through the world of competitive chess.

We dive into:

• The Transformative Power of Chess: How the game changed her life.

• Strategic Life Lessons: How the critical thinking and patience required on the board translate into real-world decision-making.

• Empowerment through Play: An inside look at her work with 'The Gift of Chess'—to bring chess sets to schools, orphanages, and correctional facilities across the country.

Whether you are a seasoned player or simply looking for inspiration on how to turn a passion into a tool for community development, this conversation is for you.

The 14th of March of 1999 match played between Maurice Ashley and Adrian Negulescu is legendary for its implications: It made Maurice Ashley the first black chess Grandmaster. And by the way, the match ended with a fork: Rd8, Be4, Qf6, in favour of Maurice.

GM Pontus Carlsson is a Swedish-Colombian chess Grandmaster, entrepreneur, and social advocate known for his unique blend of elite sportsmanship and business expertise.

He became the 16th Swede to earn the GM title in 2007, remarkably achieving both his IM and GM titles within a three-year span.

He is the only player to win the Tusenmannaschacket (the world’s largest rapid tournament) three times.

He represented Sweden at the 2006 Chess Olympiad and earned an undefeated 6/9 score at the 2007 European Team Championship with a 2686 performance rating.

Carlsson founded Business Meets Chess & Kids, a non-profit initiative that connects corporate executives with underprivileged youth to foster critical thinking and networking through chess.

Additionally, he holds a Master of Science in Business Administration and Marketing and is fluent in approximately 7–10 languages, including Swedish, Spanish, English, German, French, Chinese, and Czech.

www.businessmeetschessandkids.com