List of female chess players
This article lists female chess players that received official FIDE titles or are otherwise renowned.
History of women playing chess
From the Middle Ages through the 18th century, chess was a popular social pastime for both men and women of the upper classes. Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I played, and Thomas Jefferson wrote several times about Benjamin Franklin's playing chess in Paris with socially important women, including the Duchess of Bourbon Bathilde d'Orléans, who was "a chess player of about his force".[1] Chess games between men and women were a common theme of European art[2][3] and literature in the fourteenth through 18th centuries.[4]
By the 19th century, however, the chess world had become dominated by male chess players. During the 20th century, female players made significant progress in breaking male dominance on the game, and a few female players (such as Vera Menchik) could compete successfully with men.
By the mid-1980s a number of women were competing regularly in events with men. The country of Georgia produced some of the best women chess players of the later 20th century, including the first female International Grandmaster, Nona Gaprindashvili, who was awarded the title in 1978.
Judit Polgar was the first female player to compete in a World Chess Championship, in the 2005 edition. She is also the only female player to have defeated the reigning world number one in a game, when she beat Garry Kasparov in 2002.[5][6] More recently, Hou Yifan has been the leading female player, winning the Biel GM tournament[7] and being rated among the world's top hundred players for several years.
Grandmasters
There are currently 37 female players who hold the title of Grandmaster:[8][9]
Name | Country | Birth Date | Date | Age | Women's World Champion | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nona Gaprindashvili | 1941-05-03 | 1978 | 37 | 1962–1978 | First female grandmaster | |
Maia Chiburdanidze | 1961-01-17 | 1984 | 23 | 1978–1991 | ||
Susan Polgár | 1969-04-19 | 1991 | 22 | 1996–1999 | ||
Judit Polgár | 1976-07-23 | 1991 | 15 | – | Youngest grandmaster ever at the time | |
Pia Cramling | 1963-04-23 | 1992 | 29 | – | ||
Xie Jun | 1970-10-30 | 1994 | 23 | 1991–1996, 1999–2001 | ||
Zhu Chen | 1976-03-16 | 2001 | 25 | 2001–2004 | ||
Humpy Koneru | 1987-03-31 | 2002 | 15 | – | ||
Antoaneta Stefanova | 1979-04-19 | 2002 | 23 | 2004–2006 | ||
Alexandra Kosteniuk | 1984-03-23 | 2004 | 20 | 2008–2010 | direct award after EWC | |
Peng Zhaoqin | 1968-05-08 | 2004 | 36 | direct award after EWC | ||
Hoang Thanh Trang | 1980-04-25 | 2007 | 27 | – | ||
Kateryna Lahno | 1989-12-27 | 2007 | 17 | – | ||
Xu Yuhua | 1976-10-29 | 2007 | 30 | 2006–2008 | direct award after WWC | |
Marie Sebag | 1986-10-15 | 2008 | 21 | – | ||
Zhao Xue | 1985-04-06 | 2008 | 23 | – | ||
Hou Yifan | 1994-02-27 | 2008 | 14 | 2010–2012, 2013–2015, 2016–2017 | Youngest ever female grandmaster | |
Nana Dzagnidze | 1987-01-01 | 2008 | 21 | – | ||
Monika Soćko | 1978-03-24 | 2008 | 30 | – | ||
Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant | 1968-07-19 | 2009 | 40 | – | ||
Tatiana Kosintseva | 1986-04-11 | 2009 | 23 | – | ||
Natalia Zhukova | 1979-06-05 | 2010 | 30 | – | ||
Elina Danielian | 1978-08-16 | 2010 | 32 | – | ||
Viktorija Čmilytė | 1983-08-06 | 2010 | 26 | – | ||
Nadezhda Kosintseva | 1985-01-14 | 2011 | 26 | – | ||
Harika Dronavalli | 1991-01-12 | 2011 | 20 | – | ||
Anna Muzychuk | 1990-02-28 | 2012 | 22 | – | ||
Anna Ushenina | 1985-08-30 | 2012 | 27 | 2012–2013 | direct award after WWC | |
Valentina Gunina | 1989-02-04 | 2013 | 24 | – | ||
Irina Krush | 1983-12-24 | 2013 | 29 | – | ||
Bela Khotenashvili | 1988-06-01 | 2013 | 25 | – | ||
Ju Wenjun | 1991-01-31 | 2014 | 23 | 2018– | ||
Mariya Muzychuk | 1992-09-21 | 2015 | 22 | 2015–2016 | direct award after WWC | |
Lei Tingjie | 1997-03-13 | 2017 | 19 | – | ||
Tan Zhongyi | 1991-05-29 | 2017 | 25 | 2017–2018 | direct award after WWC | |
Nino Batsiashvili | 1987-01-01 | 2018 | 31 | – | ||
Aleksandra Goryachkina | 1998-09-28 | 2018 | 19 | – |
There is also the title Woman Grandmaster (WGM), but the requirements for achieving it are lower. As of 2020, no woman has ever been the world champion. In September 2005, Judit Polgár of Hungary, then rated #8 in the world by the international chess organization FIDE, became the first woman to play for the World Championship title.[10]
International Masters
Current
As of March 2020, the FIDE database lists 119 living women who hold the International Master title.[11]
Zhansaya Abdumalik Olga Alexandrova Silvia Alexieva Karina Ambartsumova Meri Arabidze Ekaterina Atalik Medina Warda Aulia Olga Badelka Batchimeg Tuvshintugs Irina Berezina Anastasia Bodnaruk Natasa Bojkovic Angela Borsuk Marina Brunello Nataliya Buksa Irina Bulmaga Daria Charochkina Dagnė Čiukšytė Karina Cyfka Deimantė Daulyte-Cornette Yelena Dembo Dorsa Derakhshani Joanna Dworakowska Martha Fierro Baquero Alisa Galliamova Lilit Galojan Inna Gaponenko Anita Gara Marta Garcia Martin Rusudan Goletiani Pauline Guichard Guo Qi Sopiko Guramishvili Nino Gurieli Marina Guseva Sopio Gvetadze Zuzana Hagarová Jovanka Houska Harriet Hunt Nana Ioseliani Jana Jacková Lela Javakhishvili Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska Eesha Karavade Alina Kashlinskaya Sarasadat Khademalsharieh Sopiko Khukhashvili Masha Klinova Tatiana Kononenko Ekaterina Korbut Liubov Kostiukova Ekaterina Kovalevskaya Kulkarni Bhakti Klaudia Kulon Alina L'Ami Susan K. Lalic Tea Lanchava Li Ruofan Maia Lomineishvili Carolina Lujan Ildikó Mádl Gulnar Mammadova Gunay Mammadzada Alisa Marić Iulia Mashinskaya Ana Matnadze Svetlana Matveeva Nora Medvegy Salome Melia Sophie Milliet Lilit Mkrtchian Nisha Mohota Batkhuyag Munguntuul Guliskhan Nakhbayeva Nomin-Erdene Davaademberel Lisandra Teresa Ordaz Valdés Iulija Osmak Evgenija Ovod Elisabeth Pähtz Nazi Paikidze Corina Peptan Svetlana Petrenko Pham Le Thao Nguyen Sofia Polgar Maka Purtseladze Iweta Rajlich Olita Rause Eva Repkova Paula Andrea Rodriguez Rueda Padmini Rout Anna Rudolf Tania Sachdev Dinara Saduakassova Nurgyul Salimova Sarai Sanchez Castillo Anastasia Savina Zoya Schleining Elena Sedina Shen Yang Yuliya Shvayger Almira Skripchenko Soumya Swaminathan Irine Kharisma Sukandar Stavroula Tsolakidou Irina Turova Szidonia Vajda Irina Vasilevich Tatjana Vasilevich Sabrina Vega Gutierrez Iva Videnova Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi Annie Wang Carissa Yip Wang Yu Elena Zaiatz Anna Zatonskih Nastassia Ziaziulkina Olga Zimina Anna Zozulia
Deceased
Elisaveta Bykova Cristina Foisor Nino Khurtsidze Eva Moser Lyudmila Rudenko Olga Rubtsova Elena Tairova
Alphabetical list
A
- Abdumalik, Zhansaya (2000) Kazakhstan - IM
- Aginian, Nelly (1981) Armenia - WGM
- Akhsharumova, Anna (1957) Russia, USA - WGM
- Alekhine, Grace (1876–1956) USA, United Kingdom, France
- Alexandria, Nana (1949) Georgia - WGM
- An Yangfeng (1963) China - WIM
- Andriasian, Siranush (1986) Armenia - WIM
- Arakhamia, Ketevan (1968) Georgia, Scotland - GM
- Assaubayeva, Bibisara (2004) Kazakhstan - WFM
- Atalik, Ekaterina (1982) Russia, Turkey - WGM and IM
B
- Bain, Mary (1904–1972) USA - WIM
- Belakovskaia, Anjelina (1969) Ukraine, USA - WGM
- Belavenets, Liudmila (1940) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion, WIM
- Belenkaya, Dina (1993) Russia - WGM
- Bellin, Jana (1947) Czech, England - WGM
- Benedict, Clare (1871–1961) USA, Switzerland
- Benini, Clarice (1905–1976) Italy - WIM
- Berend, Elvira (1965) Kazakhstan/Luxembourg - WGM
- Berezina, Irina (1965) Australia - IM
- Beskow, Katarina (1867–1939) Sweden
- Bijoux, Caroline (1976) South Africa
- Bhakti Kulkarni (1992) India - WGM
- Borisova, Borislava (1951) Sweden/Bulgaria - WIM
- Botsari, Anna-Maria (1972) Greece - WGM
- Brustman, Agnieszka (1962) Poland - WGM
- Burtman, Sharon Ellen (1968) USA - WIM
- Bykova, Elisabeth (1913–1989) Russia - Women's World Champion, WGM
C
- Caoili, Arianne (1986–2020) Australia - WIM
- Cardoso, Ruth (1934–2000) Brazil - WIM
- Carrasco, Berna (1914–2013) Chile - WIM
- Chaudé de Silans, Chantal (1919–2004) France - WIM
- Chiburdanidze, Maia (1961) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1984
- Ciuksyte, Dagne (1977) Lithuania, England - WGM and IM
- Çınar Çorlulu, Nilüfer (1962) Turkey - WIM
- Corke, Anya (1990) Hong Kong, England - WGM
- Čmilytė, Viktorija (1983) Lithuania - WGM and IM
- Cramling, Pia (1963) Sweden - GM 1992
D
- Dekic, Biljana (1950) Australia - WIM
- Dembo, Yelena (1983) Russia, Israel, Hungary, Greece - WGM and IM
- Ding Yixin (1991) China - WGM
- Donaldson, Elena (1957–2012) Russia, Georgia, USA - WGM
- Dzagnidze, Nana (1987) Georgia - GM 2008
E
- Edzgveradze, Natalia (1975) Georgia - WGM
- Eidelson, Rakhil (1958) Belarus - WGM
- Ereńska, Hanna (1946) Poland - WGM
F
- Fagan, Louisa Matilda (1850–1931) Italy, UK
- Miss Fatima India, United Kingdom
- February, Jesse (1997) South Africa - WIM
- Fierro, Martha (1977) Ecuador - WGM and IM
- Fisher, Michelle (1997) South Africa - WFM
- Flear, Christine (1967) France - WIM
- Forbes, Cathy (1968) England - WIM
- Cristina Adela Foisor (1967-2017) Romania - WGM and IM
- Frick, Denise (1980) South Africa - WIM
G
- Galliamova, Alisa (1972) Russia - WGM and IM
- Gaprindashvili, Nona (1941) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1978
- Gara, Anita (1983) Hungary - WGM and IM
- Gara, Ticia (1984) Hungary - WGM
- Gerlecka, Regina (1913–1983) Poland
- Gilbert, Ellen (1837–1900) USA
- Gilchrist, Mary (c.1882–1947) Scotland
- Golubenko, Valentina (1990) Estonia, Croatia - WGM
- Gong Qianyun (1985) China - WGM
- Goryachkina, Aleksandra (1998) Russia - WGM
- Graf, Sonja (1908–1965) Germany, Argentina, USA - WIM
- Melissa Greeff (1994) South Africa - WGM
- Gresser, Gisela (1906–2000) USA - WIM
- Guggenberger, Ilse (1942) Colombia - WIM
- Gunina, Valentina (1989) Russia - GM 2013
- Guo, Emma (1995) Australia - WIM
- Guo Qi (1995) China - IM
- Guramishvili, Sopiko (1991) Georgia - WGM and IM
H
- Hamid, Rani (1944) Bangladesh - WIM
- Harika, Dronavalli (1991) India - GM
- Harum, Gisela (1903–1995) Austria
- Heemskerk, Fenny (1919–2007) The Netherlands - WGM
- Herman, Róża (1902–1995) Poland - WIM
- Hoang, Thanh Trang (1980) Vietnam, Hungary - GM 2007
- Holloway, Edith (1868–1956) England - WIM
- Hołuj-Radzikowska, Krystyna (1931–2006) Poland - WGM
- Hou Yifan (1994) People's Republic of China - GM 2008
- Houska, Jovanka (1980) England - WGM and IM
- Huang Qian (1986) China - WGM
- Hunt, Harriet (1978) England - WGM and IM
I
- Ioseliani, Nana (1962) Georgia - WGM and IM
J
- Jacková, Jana (1982) Czech Republic - WGM and IM
- Johansson, Victoria (1974) - WIM
- Ju Wenjun (1991) China - GM
K
- Karavade, Eesha (1987) India - WGM and IM
- Karff, Mona (1914–1998) Bessarabia (Moldova), Palestine, USA - WIM
- Keller-Hermann, Edith (1921–2010) Germany - WGM
- Khoudgarian, Natalia (1975) Russia, Canada - WIM
- Khurtsidze, Nino (1975–2018) Georgia - WGM and IM
- Kļaviņa, Ilga (1941) Latvia
- Klovāne, Astra (1944) Latvia
- Konarkowska-Sokolov, Henrijeta (1938) Poland, Serbia - WGM
- Koneru, Humpy (1987) India - GM 2002
- Korbut, Ekaterina (1985) Russia - WGM and IM
- Kosintseva, Nadezhda (1985) Russia - WGM and IM
- Kosintseva, Tatiana (1986) Russia - WGM and IM
- Kosteniuk, Alexandra (1984) Russia - Women's World Champion, GM 2004
- Kostiuk, Tatiana (1982) Ukraine - WGM
- Kozlovskaya, Valentina (1938) Russia - WGM
- Kristol, Ljuba (1944) Russia, Israel - ICCF Women's World Champion
- Krush, Irina (1983) Ukraine, USA - GM (2013)
- Kursova, Maria (1986) Armenia - WGM
- Kushnir, Alla (1941–2013) Russia, Israel - WGM
L
- Lahno, Kateryna (1989) Ukraine, Russia - GM 2007
- Lane, Lisa (1938) USA - WIM
- L'Ami, Alina (1985) Romania - IM
- Larsen, Ingrid (1909-1990) Denmark - WIM
- Lauberte, Milda (1918-2009) Latvia - WIM
- Lazarević, Milunka (1932) Serbia - WGM
- Lei Tingjie (1997) China - GM
- Leite, Catarina(1983) Portugal - WIM
- Levitina, Irina (1954) Russia, USA - WGM
- Li Ruofan (1997) China - IM
- Lin Ye (1974) China - WFM
- Litinskaya-Shul, Marta (1949) Ukraine - WGM
- Liu Shilan (1962) China - WGM
- Lu Xiaosha (1973) China - WIM
M
- Macalda di Scaletta (c. 1240–c. 1310) Kingdom of Sicily
- Mádl, Ildikó (1969) Hungary - WGM and IM
- Majdan, Joanna (1988) Poland - WGM
- Marić, Alisa (1970) USA, Serbia - WGM and IM
- Marić, Mirjana (1970) Serbia - WGM
- Marinello, Beatriz (1964) Chile - WIM
- Matveeva, Svetlana (1969) Russia - WGM and IM
- Menchik, Olga (1908–1944) Czechoslovakia, England
- Menchik, Vera (1906–1944) Czechoslovakia, England - Women's World Champion
- Meyer, Marany (1984) South Africa/New Zealand - WIM
- Michell, Edith (1872–1951) England
- Milliet, Sophie (1983) France - WGM and IM
- Mišanović, Vesna (1964) Bosnia and Herzegovina - WGM
- Mkrtchian, Lilit (1982) Armenia - WGM and IM
- Mora, Maria Teresa (1902–1980) Cuba - WIM
- Mutesi, Phiona (1993) Uganda - WCM
- Muzychuk, Anna (1990) Ukraine, Slovenia - WGM and IM
N
- Nakhbayeva, Guliskhan (1991) Kazakhstan - IM
- Nakhimovskaya, Zara (1931) Israel
- Nebolsina, Vera (1989) Russia - WGM
- Ning Chunhong (1968) China - WGM
- Nyberg, Christina (1962) Sweden
O
- Öztürk, Kübra (1991) Turkey - WGM
P
- Pähtz, Elisabeth (1985) Germany - WGM and IM
- Paridar, Shadi (1986) Iran - WGM
- Peng, Zhaoqin (1968) People's Republic of China, Netherlands - GM 2004
- Soňa Pertlová (1988–2011) Czech Republic - WIM
- Piatigorsky, Jacqueline (1911–2012) France, USA
- Pogonina, Natalia (1985) Russia - WGM and IM
- Polgár, Judit (1976) Hungary - GM 1991
- Polgár, Sófia (1974) Hungary, Israel - WGM and IM
- Polgar, Susan (1969) Hungary, USA - Women's World champion, GM 1991
- Pourkashiyan, Atousa (1988) Iran - WGM
- Price, Edith Charlotte (1872–1956) England
- Ptáčníková, Lenka (1976) Czech Republic, Iceland - WGM
Q
- Qin Kanying (1974) People's Republic of China - WGM
R
- Rajlich, Iweta (1981) Poland - WGM and IM
- Ranasinghe, Sachini (1994) Sri Lanka - WIM
- Reischer, Salome (1899–1980) Austria - WIM
- Reizniece-Ozola, Dana (1981) Latvia - WGM
- Richards, Heather (1983) England, Australia - WIM
- Riegler, Alessandra (1961) Italy - ICCF Women's World Champion
- Rinder, Friedl (1905–2001) Germany - WIM
- Rogule, Laura (1988) Latvia - WGM
- Roodzant, Catharina (1896–1999) The Netherlands
- Roos, Nancy (1905–1957) United States
- Rootare, Salme (1913–1987) Estonia - WIM
- Ross, Laura (1988) United States - WFM
- Ruan Lufei (1987) China - WGM
- Rubene, Ilze (1958-2002) - WIM
- Rubtsova, Olga (1909–1992) Russia - Women's World Champion and IFCC Women's World Champion, WGM
- Rudenko, Lyudmila (1904–1986) Ukraine, Russia - Women's World Champion, WGM
- Rudge, Mary (1842–1919) England
S
- Sabure, Taduetso (1982) Botswana - WGM
- Sachdev, Tania (1986) India - IM and WGM
- Šafranska, Anda (1960) Latvia, France - WGM
- Schwartzmann, Paulette (1910–19??) Latvia, France, Argentina
- Schneider, Veronika (1987) Hungary - WGM
- Schut, Lisa (1994) Netherlands - IM
- Sebag, Marie (1986) France - GM 2008
- Selkirk, Rebecca (1993) South Africa - WCM
- Semenova, Lidia (1951) Ukraine - WGM
- Shahade, Jennifer (1980) USA - WGM
- Sheldon, Ruth (1980) England - WIM
- Shen Yang (1989) China - IM
- Skripchenko, Almira (1976) Moldova, France - WGM and IM
- Soćko, Monika (1978) Poland - GM 2008
- Solomons, Anzel (1978) South Africa - WIM
- Srebrnič, Ana (1984) Slovenia - WGM
- Starr, Nava (1949) Latvia, Canada - WIM
- Stefanova, Antoaneta (1979) Bulgaria - Women's World Champion, GM 2003
- Stevenson, Agnes (1873–1935) England
- Stock, Lara (1992) Germany, Croatia WGM
- Styazhkina, Anna (1997) Russia - WIM
- Sukhareva, Olga (1984) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion
- Sun Fanghui (1993) China - WIM
T
- Tairova, Elena (1991-2010) Russia - WGM and IM
- Tan Zhongyi (1991) China - GM
- Tian Tian (1983) China - WGM
- Toma, Katarzyna (1985) Poland, England - WGM
- Tonini, Alice Italy
- Topel, Zehra (1987) Turkey - WIM
- Tranmer, Eileen (1910–1983) England - WIM
- Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg (1986) Mongolia - WGM
U
- Ushenina, Anna (1985) Ukraine - GM 2012
V
- Vajda, Szidonia (1979) Romania, Hungary - WGM and IM
- van der Merwe, Cecile (1987) South Africa - WIM
- Verőci, Zsuzsa (1949) Hungary - WGM
- Volpert, Larisa (1926) Russia - WGM
- Vozovic, Oksana (1985) Ukraine - WGM
W
- Annie Wang (2002) United States - IM
- Wang Jue (1995) China - WGM
- Wang Lei (1975) China - WGM
- Wang Pin (1974) China - WGM
- Wang Yu (1982) China - IM
- Wijesuriya, Suneetha Sri Lanka
- Wijesuriya, Vineetha (1970) Sri Lanka - WCM
- Wolf-Kalmar, Paula (1881–1931) Austria
- Wu Mingqian (1961) China - WGM
X
- Xie Jun (1970) People's Republic of China - Women's World champion, GM 1994
- Xu Yuanyuan (1981) China - WGM
- Xu Yuhua (1976) People's Republic of China - Women's World champion, GM 2007
Y
- Yakovleva, Lora (1932) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion
- Yıldız, Betül Cemre (1989) Turkey - WGM
- Yuanling Yuan (1994) China - WIM
Z
- Zatonskih, Anna (1978) Ukraine, USA - WGM and IM
- Zatulovskaya, Tatiana (1935) Azerbaijan, Russia, Israel - WGM
- Zawadzka, Beata (1986) Poland - WGM
- Zhai Mo (1966) China - WGM
- Zhang Xiaowen (1989) China - WGM
- Zhao Lan (1963) China - WIM
- Zhao Xue (1985) People's Republic of China - GM 2008
- Zhu Chen (1976) People's Republic of China, Qatar - Women's World champion, GM 2001
- Zhu Jin'er (2002) China - WIM
- Zhukova, Natalia (1979) Ukraine - GM 2010
- Zvorykina, Kira (1919-2014) Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria - WGM
See also
- Women's World Chess Championship
- Category:Chess woman grandmasters
Notes
References
- "Chess « Thomas Jefferson's Monticello". Monticello.org. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
- "Paris, France: Musée national du Moyen Age: stained glass". Cambridge2000.com. 2004-04-04. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
- http://www.wga.hu/art/m/man/chess_pl.jpg
- Archived September 18, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- "Sweet revenge for Kasparov's opponent". The Guardian. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- For the game score, see chessgames
- Sam Copeland (August 3, 2017), "Hou Yifan Scores Historic Victory in Biel"", chess.com, retrieved August 12, 2019
- List of female GMs at fide.com
- Bluejay, Michael (November 2006). "Women Grandmasters in Chess (GM's, not WGM's)". michaelbluejay.com. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2005-08-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- List of female IMs on FIDE.com