Chess Champion Moves to Israel and Finds a New Purpose

Chess is a game that requires creativity and careful planning. It also demands the ability to adapt to changes on the spot. In many ways, the same spirit of innovation is woven into Israel’s culture.

Three-time Hungarian women’s chess champion Tícia Gara relocated to Israel during a challenging period in the region, The Jerusalem Post reports. Just six weeks after arriving, she had to seek shelter during Iranian missile attacks. It was her chess experience that helped prepare her to adjust to life in a new country.

From Master Player to Master Teacher
Gara has been playing chess from a young age, achieving Woman Grandmaster status when she was just 18 years old. She was the winner of Hungary’s national women’s chess championships in 2006, 2007, and 2019. After the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Gara shifted toward coaching and quickly found success. In January 2024, Chess.com named Gara Coach of the Month.

Apart from chess, Gara developed a strong connection to Israel. She has relatives in the country and in 2014, she gave back through volunteering with disabled adults in Israel. In 2025, Gara finally took the plunge and moved to Israel, despite the ongoing war in the region. Gara credits her chess acumen with helping her during her first months as an Israeli citizen.

“In the world of chess, you’re exposed to a lot of different situations, hardships, and anxieties,” Gara tells The Jerusalem Post. “Dealing with solitude is part of the journey because you’re traveling to tournaments in places that aren’t familiar.”

Chess as Therapy
Gara currently teaches at the Chess4All club in Savyon, and hopes to help Israeli society through the game. “My dream is to use chess as a tool to help elderly people and prevent dementia, and as a therapeutic tool for people with PTSD or mental disorders,” Gara says. Since observing wounded soldiers playing chess at a rehab center in Israel, she’s also dreamed of using the game to support rehabilitation.

Chess in Israel
Gara is optimistic about the state of chess in the nation. “Chess is taught in many Israeli schools as an elective,” she explains.

According to Ynet, the game is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance among the Israeli public. Not only do 1,500 classes in Israel have chess in their curriculum, the game is also taking off among Israeli youth.

“What’s happening lately is an actual revolution with junior high children and sometimes even younger, who are not leaving the online gaming world, but simply shifting to chess,” Dan Drory, a 43-year-old manager of a central Israeli chess club, tells Ynet.

Israeli Female Chess Players
In recent years, more and more Israeli girls have become interested in the sport, according to The Jerusalem Post. “There are more girls today and it’s broadening,” Marsel Efroimski, two-time world champion in chess for the youth division and Woman Grandmaster, tells The Jerusalem Post.

Gara’s arrival in Israel may have been challenging, but she arrived at just the right time and the right place to coach and inspire the country’s youth. More and more young women are discovering the game, and Gara is setting an example for Israel’s next generation of female players.