WGMMachteld Van Foreest

Machteld van Foreest grew up in a Groningen chess family and learned the game from her father at four. Her older brothers Jorden and Lucas became grandmasters, while her great-great-grandfather Arnold and his brother Dirk had both been Dutch champions. She won the Dutch girls' under-ten title at six. Her later youth titles included the open under-twelve and under-fourteen championships. In 2022, she defeated Anne Haast to become the youngest Dutch women's champion, aged fifteen. She won the title again in 2025 after beating Robin Duson in the final and retained it in 2026. Van Foreest became a FIDE Master in 2022 and a Woman Grandmaster in 2025.