Do you know Beth Harmon became Chess Grandmaster at an early age? Well, that was fictional, but there are real female chess masters who earned the title of Chess Grandmaster.
What does Chess Grandmaster mean? The International Chess Federation (FIDE) grants one of the highest titles to chess players, known as "Grandmaster." Once someone achieves this title, it stays for lifetime. Chess players are awarded this title without gender inequality. However, this honor can be revoked profoundly on some grounds, like cheating.
Did you know there are 39 women chess players at present with Grandmaster titles.
Chess Grandmaster vs Women Chess Grandmaster
Chess Grandmaster (GM) | Women Chess Grandmaster (WGM) |
Both men and women can earn chess grandmaster title. | This title can be earned only by women chess players. |
A chess player need to have at least 2500 Elo FIDE rating with three grandmaster norms, to attain this title. | A women chess player need to have at least 2300 Elo FIDE rating with three grandmaster norms, to attain this title. So, let me introduce the best |
So, let me introduce the best Women Chess Grandmasters who made Chess a career, and changed their lives.
15 Women Chess Grandmasters
1. Nona Gaprindashivli Do you know, Nona Gaprindashivli was the fifth Women's World Chess Champion and carried the title for 16 long years? She was amongst the terrific chess masters who started playing when she was just 5. Nona Gaprindashivli was the first female to earn the prestigious title of Women Chess Grandmaster in 1978. Many people don't know that Nona Gaprindashivli sued the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. The lawsuit was about an introduction about her in the last episode of the series that, "she has never faced men."
Achievements
In 1961, she won the Women's World Championship and created history by defeating one of the International chess masters, Elisaveta Bykova.
The real success was winning the Women's World Senior Championship. In fact, Nona Gaprindashivli was the first and only woman to be awarded this title.
Even at 64, her devotion to chess made her win BDO Chess Tournament with 2510 performance rating. In an interview, the interviewer asked, "How do you still have the energy and power for chess at the age of 76?" Nona Gaprindashivli replied, "Chess is my life. I like it."
Did you know?
A perfume bottle was designed in the structure of a Chess Queen and was named after Nona Gaprindashivli.
2. Susan Polgar [caption id="attachment_10548" align="aligncenter" width="618"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] The Polgar sisters had been setting a bar in chess excellence. Can you believe a girl won a Chess Championship at 4? I know it's hard to process the fact. Susan Polgar is one of the top-rated female chess players. She is one of the excellent chess masters. Susan Polgar became the 3rd Women Chess Grandmaster in her twenties.
Achievements
Susan Polgar was the first female to attain the GM title by three norms
She earned the blitz championship
Susan delivered chess coaching to aspiring chess players for more than 25 years. Apart from being a coach, she became a writer and published inspiring chess books.
3. Judit Polgar [caption id="attachment_10549" align="aligncenter" width="1247"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] Yes, you have to believe the fact that the youngest 15-year-old Judit Polgar defeated the great Bobby Fischer. By breaking his record, she won the highest title as International Grandmaster. Beginning at the age of 5, Judit Polgar played chess almost her entire life. Let's see her biggest achievements. The title of Highest-Rated Female Player in History goes to Judit Polgar.
Achievements
Judit Polgar won an International Chess Tournament at the age of 9.
At the age of 11, she showed her excellence in Chess by defeating one of the GM.
Judit Polgar won many tournaments, but the massive achievement was yet to knock the door. In 1991, she became one of the youngest Women Chess Grandmasters of all time. She didn't stop there but continued playing chess professionally. Proving her intelligence, she defeated 11 World champions and created history. In 2014, Judit Polgar played her last tournament being an active chess player. In 2018, she was honored with the FIDE Vice-president position. Judit Polgar is the best female chess player ever. She is an expert commentator at International tournaments.
4. Pia Cramling
Thirty years back, making chess a career choice was not so easy. Pia Cramling made her identity through sacrifices and hurdles. She delivered unbelievable performances throughout her life. Following her brother
Thirty years back, making chess a career choice was not so easy. Pia Cramling made her identity through sacrifices and hurdles. She delivered unbelievable performances throughout her life. Following her brother Dan Cramling, an International Chess Master, Pia Cramling learned the chess moves and started winning some tournaments. The Swedish School Championship changed Pia Cramling's life. She surprised herself when she won the title at the age of 13. When Cramling received her prize, her inner voice was screaming happily. She said, "This is something I'll do my whole life."
Achievements
Pia Cramling's hard work paid off when FIDE awarded her the Chess Grandmaster title in 1992. Pia became the 5th female to earn this title.
Gold medalist in Chess Olympiad for being the best player in 1984, 1988, and 2022.
Accentus Ladies (2006) and Women's Individual Chess Championship (2003 and 2010).
Pia Cramling was the team representative for Sweden at the Chess Olympiad. She advises aspiring chess players to enjoy playing rather than carrying pressure.
5. Elisaveta Bykova [caption id="attachment_10595" align="aligncenter" width="393"]
Picture courtesy - World Chess Hall of Fame[/caption] The famous Soviet chess player, Elisaveta Bykova, is one of the earliest female chess Grandmasters. She began her chess journey at 12, along with her brother. She was a passionate learner. She won many championships with her chess strategies.
Achievements
Elisaveta Bykova was Women's World Championship two times between 1953 to 1962.
International Master (IM) in 1953
Woman Grandmaster in the year 1976
Apart from this, Elisaveta worked in a printing house as an Engineer in Moscow. She unfurled all her passion for women's Chess and wrote 3 books. She shared her knowledge with the chess learners by way of lectures and organizational events. Wondering how many grandmasters are there? 1700+. Know who made it to the prestigious list first. Explore now
6. Zhu Chen [caption id="attachment_10599" align="aligncenter" width="350"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] An interesting fact about Zhu Chen is, she was the first Chinese chess player to win the International Chess Championship. She is one of the terrific Female Chess Grandmasters. Let's know how she made her chess career extraordinary.
Achievements
According to the 2012 FIDE World Rankings, Zhu was the 20th-ranked woman.
She was the two times winner of the under-20 tournament in 1994 and 1996.
In 2001, she became Grandmaster and became the 7th woman to earn this title.
Zhu won many titles, but defeating GM Alexandra Kosteniuk was a challenge. In 2001, Zhu Chen took up this challenge, defeated Alexandra, and grabbed the Women's World Champion title.
7. Humpy Koneru [caption id="attachment_10601" align="aligncenter" width="550"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] Do you know who broke Judit Polgar's record and became the youngest grandmaster? She is none other than an Indian chess player Humpy Koneru. At the age of 15, Humpy Koneru won the GM title and became the 8th female to earn that. Training under her Father's guidance, Humpy went high in her chess career.
Achievements
Indian and British Women's Championships
Bronze at World Team Chess Championship (2015, China).
Women's World Rapid Champion in 2019 with a remarkable comeback after 2-year maternity leave
BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2020
Chess was Humpy Koneru's passion that she continued to follow. She recently won the Women's team Medal for the first time at the 2022 Chess Olympiad, where she led India.
8. Kateryna Lagno [caption id="attachment_10602" align="aligncenter" width="900"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] You would be amazed to know that Kateryna Lagno is the 5th ranked woman as per FIDE World Ratings. She was born with exceptional qualities. Kateryna Lagno started her chess career pretty early. She knew that Chess would be her life.
Achievements
Woman Grandmaster title (WGM) at the age of 12
Twice Gold Medalist at the Woman Chess Olympiad, in 2006 and 2014
World and European Youth Chess Championship at 10
Kateryna Lagno is a mastermind. Her winnings reflect her excellence in chess.
Check out EnthuZiastic Chess Classes for a personalized Chess learning experience.
9. Hou Yifan [caption id="attachment_10604" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] Hou Yifan is a Chinese female chess master who won the Woman World Chess Championship not once but 4 times. Chess became a part of her life since she was a 3-year-old kid. Hou Yifan started showcasing her chess skills at 5. This is where her chess career and accomplishment began.
Achievements
3rd woman amongst World's Top 100 players after Judit
In 2007, Hou was the only youngest Chinese champion
Female Chess Grandmaster in 2008 at the age of 14
Hou Yifan aced the game for several years and, in 2020, became the youngest professor at Shenzhen University at the age of 26.
10. Marie Sebag [caption id="attachment_10605" align="aligncenter" width="359"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] French Female Chess Master Marie Sebag started her journey as a chess player in 1998 by winning the girls under 12 European Youth Chess Championship. She kept this title with her for one more year (2002) and became a joint winner of U18. As other chess GMs, Marie Sebag also started a career in chess at an early age. She won many chess tournaments and showed her exceptional skills.
Achievements
In 2007, Marie Sebag scored the 2nd GM norm. By that time, she was already an International Grand Master and Women grandmaster.
She raised the bar by defeating GM Laurent Fressinet.
As of March 2021, Marie Sebag is the first ever France woman to earn the GM title and became the highest-rated woman.
11. Nana Dzagnidze [caption id="attachment_10606" align="aligncenter" width="351"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] Georgian female chess player Nana Dzagnidze started her chess journey in 1999 and never looked back. With a handful of scoring, she achieved many chess championships and tournaments.
Achievements
The Best Female Player award twice (2009 and 2011) at the Gibraltar Chess Festival was one of her famous victories.
Nana Dzagnidze became a Gold medalist in 2003 at the World Girls U20 Championship.
FIDE title of Grandmaster in 2008
Nana Dzagnidze was awarded with FIDE Award of Caissa for being the best female chess player in 2017. The award was primarily designed by Lobortas Classic Jewellery House Artisans.
12. Yelena Dembo [caption id="attachment_10607" align="aligncenter" width="296"]
Picture courtesy - Pinterest[/caption] Yelena Dembo is a child prodigy. She started reading when she was 2.5 and started playing chess when she was 3. She was inspired by her mother, Nadezhda Fokina, a USSR Master of Sports in Chess, and her Father, a professional pianist and chess trainer. Yelena's father had been training her since 3 years of her age. Being a genius, Dembo won many championships.
Achievements
The Israeli Girl's Championship title five times in her chess career
The Hungarian Women's and European Team Chess Championship
Woman Grandmaster at 17
International Master at 19
Yelena Dembo holds 8 medals for numerous renowned championships. She also became an author and wrote a few books on Chess. Some of them include:
Conversation with a professional trainer - Methods of positive play
The very unusual book about Chess
13. Monika Socko [caption id="attachment_10609" align="aligncenter" width="460"]
Picture courtesy - Wikimedia[/caption] Let me tell you an interesting fact, Monika Socko defeated Marie Sebag and Yelena Dembo in tie breaks and won the Bronze. She was the first Polish female to earn the WGM (1995) title by that time. Being one of the outstanding female chess players of all time, Monika Socko was flying high in her chess career.
Achievements
Eight times winner of the Polish women's chess championship
She is a proud holder of Woman Grandmaster (1995) and GM (2008) titles
Arctic Chess championship in 2009
2010 Women's European Individual Chess Championship
She grabbed all three medals, being a team member of the Polish team - Gold at the Women's European Team Chess Championship (2005), Silver (2007) and 2011), and Bronze (2013).
Continuing her journey, Socko won Woman Grandmaster Round-Robin Tournament at Erfurt in the year 2014.
14. Tatiana Kosintseva [caption id="attachment_10610" align="aligncenter" width="345"]
Picture courtesy - Wikimedia[/caption] Tatiana Kosintseva randomly visited a chess club coming back from dance lessons with her mother. That is when Chess became a part of her life. She started playing chess at 6, along with her elder sister Nadezhda (GM, 2011). According to Tatiana Kosintseva, a book by former World Champion Alexander Alekhine's Games inspired her. She was equally influenced by Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov's games.
Achievements
Silver medalist in girls U10 and U12 in 1996-97
Gold medal in European Chess Championship, 1996 U10 category
By 2007, Tatiana had won the European Women's Champion twice and the Russian Women's Championship for the 3rd time. Her excellence in Chess made her female Grandmaster in 2009.
15. Harika Dronavalli [caption id="attachment_10616" align="aligncenter" width="622"]
Picture courtesy - Deccan Cronicle[/caption] Harika Dronavalli happens to be the 2nd Indian woman to hold the title of Woman Grandmaster, next to Humpy Koneru. She developed an interest in chess at a very young age. Following her passion with hard work, Harika Dronavalli refined her game and grabbed many titles.
Achievements
Bronze medalist in the Women's World Chess Championship.
She won this championship three times - 2012, 2015, and 2017.
She was honored with the renowned Arjuna Award by the Government of India in 2007-08.
2019 blessed Harika Dronavalli with a prestigious Padma Shri Award. There are many women chess masters who gave remarkable performances in chess history. "There is no limit to what we can achieve if we reach for the sky and take risks." This is exactly what I felt after knowing the life stories of these extraordinary women. Instead of dreaming, they worked really hard to live their dreams. They set an example of how you can turn your passion into reality.
FAQs
Why are there very few female Grandmasters? Back then, women had to struggle to enter into the chess world and make Chess a career. The games were played considering gender, but when the strongest chess Grandmaster Judit Polgar became the first and only ranked woman in the world, it changed the perspective of many people. Judit said, "We are capable of the same fight as any man. It's not a matter of gender; it's a matter of being smart."
Why is Chess hard to learn? Chess is hard, but not something you can't learn ever. It is complex as it includes numerous moves like castling or openings like Gambit. You need to master your mind to play with strategies like the opening, middle, and Endgame. Once you learn basic rules and strategies, you just need to practice more and more to get used to it. Is Chess hard to learn? Garry Kasparov infamously said, “Chess is mental torture.” But is it? Find Out
Conclusion Every chess player works hard their entire life to attain the Grandmaster title one day. It takes dedication and courage to play with constant enthusiasm. If you are willing to start your chess journey, first get a trainer and master the basics. Practice diligently. Focus on enjoying the journey rather than the destination. Many chess tournaments are waiting for you!
