Thalia Holmes | |
|---|---|
 Holmes at the 2025 British Chess Championship | |
| Country | England |
| Born | 2004 (age 20–21) |
Thalia Holmes (born 2004) is an English chess player. She won the inaugural series of the BBC Two competition Chess Masters: The Endgame in 2025.
Thalia Holmes | |
|---|---|
| Holmes at the 2025 British Chess Championship | |
| Country | England |
| Born | 2004 (age 20–21) |
Thalia Holmes (born 2004) is an English chess player. She won the inaugural series of the BBC Two competition Chess Masters: The Endgame in 2025.
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Holmes played chess from a young age and first represented England aged ten. [1] Holmes attended Haberdashers’ Adams School in Newport and was a member of the Newport Chess Club. [2] She studies history at university. [3]
In 2022, Holmes was the winner of the under-18s Shropshire Megafinal of the UK Chess Challenge. [4] She admires Latvian chess grandmaster Mikhail Tal. [5]
In 2025, Holmes participated in the inaugural series of the BBC Two competition Chess Masters: The Endgame. [6] [5] Her nickname on the show was "The Tactician," due to her aggressive and tactical style of play. [7] She won the show, beating "The Strategist" Richie Kelly in the final game. [8] [9] [10]
Holmes is a transgender woman and has said that she participated in the show for the "representation" of women and trans people in chess. [7]