Chess is a game that requires strategy, intelligence, and mental prowess, and unlike other board games, it is not only played by men. Women have made major contributions to the game of chess, and several of them have gone on to become players who are ranked among the best in the world. This article will focus on the top 10 female chess players in the world and provide a quick biography of each of them.
Who are the best female chess players in the world?
1. Hou Yifan
Birthday: 02/27/1994 | Country: China | Famous For becoming the youngest-ever Women’s World Chess Champion at age 16
Hou Yifan has won numerous titles throughout her career, including the Women’s World Chess Championship four times, the Women’s Chess Olympiad gold medal five times, and the Women’s Grand Prix twice.
She also became the youngest-ever Women’s World Chess Champion in 2010 and has held the title thrice. She has held the Women’s World Chess Championship title for four periods, most recently winning it in 2016.
She has been praised for her tactical skill, strategic vision, and ability to remain calm under pressure.
Yifan is a role model for aspiring female chess players and has advocated gender equality in the sport and encouraged young girls to pursue their passion for chess.
2. Judit Polgar
Birthday: 07/23/1976 | Country: Hungary | Famous For being the only woman to have broken into the top 10 of the World Chess Rankings.
Judit Polgar is a Hungarian chess player recognized as the best female player of all time. Polgar achieved the title of Grandmaster in 1991, becoming the youngest player to do so at the time, at the age of 15.
She has won numerous titles throughout her career, including the Women’s World Chess Championship in 1996, and has consistently ranked among the top 100 players in the world for both men and women.
One of her most notable achievements was her victory over then-World Champion Garry Kasparov in a match in 2002, making her the first woman to defeat a reigning world champion in a classical game.
After retiring from competitive chess in 2014, Judit Polgar has focused on promoting the game through her foundation, the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation, which aims to teach chess to children and promote the cognitive and educational benefits of the game.
3. Irina Krush
Birthday: 12/24/1983 | Country: United States | Famous For Being a Seven-Time U.S. Women’s Chess Champion and First American Woman to Win a Medal in the World Junior Chess Championship.
Irina Krush is a renowned American chess player who won seven U.S. Women’s Chess Championship titles, breaking the previous record of six held by Gisela Gresser. Additionally, Krush was the first American woman to win a medal in the World Junior Chess Championship, earning a bronze medal in 1995.
Aside from her achievements as a chess player, Krush is also a dedicated chess coach and author. She has written articles for Chess Life magazine and authored two chess books, “Play Like a Girl!” and “Winning Chess Tactics.”
Her work as a writer and coach has helped inspire a new generation of chess players, particularly young girls, to take up the game and pursue their passions.
4. Aleksandra Goryachkina
Birthday: 09/28/1998 | Country: Russia | Famous For being the youngest-ever Women’s World Chess Championship Challenger at age 20.
Aleksandra Goryachkina is a Russian chess player currently one of the strongest female players in the world. Goryachkina is a Russian chess player who is the youngest-ever Women’s World Chess Championship Challenger, earning the title at Goryachkina’s talent for chess was evident from an early age, and she quickly rose through the ranks of junior tournaments in Russia.
She achieved the title of Women’s Grandmaster in 2012, at 13, and became a Grandmaster in 2019, making her the fourth woman in history to achieve the title. Goryachkina’s impressive results include winning the Women’s World Chess Championship in 2019 and finishing as the runner-up in the tournament in 2020. She has also won the Russian Women’s Chess Championship three times and has represented Russia in the Chess Olympiad.
5. Koneru Humpy
Birthday: 03/31/1987 | Country: India | Famous For being the youngest-ever Woman Grandmaster at age 15.
Koneru Humpy is an Indian chess player who holds the titles of Grandmaster and Woman Grandmaster. She became the youngest-ever Woman Grandmaster at 15 and has won numerous awards throughout her career, including the Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship in 2019.
Humpy Koneru won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2021 Award on March 8 and was named Sportswoman of the Decade (Individual non-Olympic sports) by Sportstar magazine in 2021.
Humpy is known for her attacking playing style and strong tactical skills. She has also been awarded the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri for her contributions to the game of chess in India.
6. Anna Muzychuk
Birthday: 02/28/1990 | Country: Ukraine | Famous For being the Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion and Women’s World Blitz Chess Champion.
Anna Olehivna Muzychuk is a renowned chess grandmaster who hails from Ukraine. She made a name for herself by becoming the fourth woman in history to achieve an Elo rating of over 2600. Her impressive chess skills helped her win the Ukrainian Women’s Championship in 2003 and the Ukrainian U20 girl’s championship in 2004.
Although Muzychuk started playing for Slovenia in 2004, she continued to represent them in various tournaments, becoming the strongest female chess player in Slovenia and the third-best female player in the world.
Despite living in Stryi, Ukraine, Muzychuk remained loyal to Slovenia, even when her younger sister Mariya represented the Ukrainian national team. In recognition of her outstanding performance, Muzychuk was awarded the National Master in 2007 and Grandmaster in 2012. Her dedication to chess and her impressive achievements have made her an inspiration to aspiring chess players worldwide.
7. Kateryna Lagno
Birthday: 12/27/1989 | Country: Russia | Famous For being the Women’s World Blitz Chess Champion.
Kateryna Lagno is a Russian chess player who holds the titles of Grandmaster and Woman Grandmaster. She is known for her tactical and strategic playing style and has won numerous awards, winning the Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship twice gold medals in 2014 and 2018 and the European Women’s Individual Chess Championship in 2014.
8. Nana Dzagnidze
Birthday: 01/01/1987 | Country: Georgia | Famous For being the Women’s World Blitz Chess Champion.
Nana Dzagnidze is a Georgian chess player who holds the titles of Grandmaster and Woman Grandmaster.
She is known for her attacking playing style and has won numerous awards throughout her career at 18, which was her first award in the European championship, including the Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship in 2017.
Dzagnidze won the European Women’s Individual Chess Championship twice, in 2011 and 2017.
9. Mariya Muzychuk
Birthday: 09/21/1992 | Country: Ukraine | Famous For being the Women’s World Chess Champion.
Mariya Muzychuk is a Ukrainian chess player who holds the titles of Grandmaster and Woman Grandmaster. She is the younger sister of Anna Muzychuk and has won numerous awards throughout her career, including the Women’s World Chess Championship in 2015.
Muzychuk is known for her aggressive playing style and strong tactical abilities. In addition to her successful chess career, Muzychuk is a trained lawyer and has completed a degree in law from Lviv University.
10. Ju Wenjun
Birthday: 01/31/1991 | Country: China | Famous For being the Women’s World Chess Champion and World Rapid Chess Champion.
Ju Wenjun is a Chinese chess grandmaster. She was born on January 31, 1991, in Xinghua, Jiangsu, China. In March 2017, she became the fifth woman in this race to achieve a rating of 2600. Ju is the 16th Women’s World Chess Champion, winning the title in 2018 after defeating Tan Zhongyi in the championship match.
She successfully defended her title in 2020, defeating Aleksandra Goryachkina in the championship match. Ju has also won the Women’s Chinese Chess Championship four times and the Women’s World Team Chess Championship five times as a member of the Chinese team.
In addition to her chess accomplishments, Ju Wenjun has a degree in law from the East China University of Political Science and Law.
Conclusion
These female chess players have significantly impacted the chess world, and their achievements have broken the stereotype that chess is a male-dominated sport. Their dedication, hard work, and exceptional skills have helped them reach the top of their game and inspire young girls worldwide to pursue their passion for chess.
Female chess players have come a long way in the past few decades, and their success has brought attention to the sport and paved the way for future generations. The female players on this list have proven that gender is not a barrier to success in these wor have set a high bar for future players to aspire to.
References
https://www.jewage.org/wiki/he/Article:Judit_Polgar_-_biography
http://womenscandidates.fide.com/profile/aleksandra-goryachkina
https://chess24.com/en/read/players/mariya-muzychuk
https://www.europechess.org/nana-dzagnidze-new-european-womens-chess-champion/?print=print
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Kateryna_Lagno
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