Best Female Chess Players Ever: 5 Names To Learn

By: Olena

Posted: August 24, 2022

Updated: August 24, 2022

Most people think about chess as a male-dominated game
There always were women proving their opinion wrong
Here is our top-5 of the greatest women in chess

Most people in the world still have an opinion about chess as a male-dominated game. However, there have always been women proving their opinions wrong. Our list of the best female chess players ever serves as a confirmation that chess is a game that can be dominated by both men and women. Thanks to the 2020 Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, this iconic board game got its new lease on life. More and more people started looking for information about the best female chess players ever, keeping in mind Beth Harmon’s image. Nowadays, women are interested in chess no less than men. Let’s take a look at the most outstanding examples of women in chess.

Who are the Best Female Chess Players Ever?

Our list of the greatest chess players includes pioneers, who opened the door to major chess competitions for other women, and modern stars dominating the game today. You can find the ongoing chess competitions at online betting sites in Georgia. Meanwhile, here are the five most notable names in women’s chess you need to know.

Judit Polgar
Hou Yifan
Maia Chiburdanidze
Nona Gaprindashvili
Vera Menchik

Vera Menchik

One of the greatest chess players of the first half of the 20th century was Vera Menchik. She was not just a common champion who won the Women's World Chess Champion and held the title for a long time. Menchik was one of the first women in chess who managed to reach heights like hers. She was the longest-reigning champion ever. The Olympic prize in Women’s Chess was named after her. Finally, Menchik was the first woman to enter the World Chess Hall of Fame in the 2010s.

Nona Gaprindashvili

Various editions name Nona Gaprindashvili one of the best female chess players ever. She is a Georgian player whose peak was in the Soviet era. In 2020, she was mentioned in The Queen’s Gambit as a woman who has never competed against men. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnD9jCzIx-Q Nona filed a lawsuit against Netflix as she eventually was the first female player to enter men’s championships. It was one of the reasons why she became the very first lady in the world to be awarded the Grandmaster title from FIDE.

Maia Chiburdanidze

Another Georgian chess legend is Maia Chiburdanidze. Her list of records and achievements includes 9 gold Olympic medals, the title of Women’s Soviet Chess Championship she has been holding for 13 years, and the second GM title ever awarded to a woman. Besides that, she won multiple titles in chess competitions for youngsters. According to FIDE, Chiburdanidze is in the top-15 of the best chess players among men and women. Follow the latest chess competitions at online gambling sites in Georgia.

Hou Yifan

Hou Yifan can be easily named one of the best female chess players ever when one looks at her achievements. This Chinese chess player is a four-time world champion among ladies and the second highest-rated female player ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiwL1SNfKVg At the age of 12, Yifan became the youngest person to participate in the Chess Olympiad and FIDE Women’s Championship. One year later, she became a GM and China’s youngest National Women’s Champion. As of 2022, she is the most popular woman in chess.

Judit Polgar

Judit Polgar is widely referred to as the strongest chess player among women. This Hungarian-born player has broken many records during her professional career. At the age of 15, she received the Grandmaster title and became the youngest player to do so. She is the only female player who has competed against reigning world number one players and won. Also, Polgar is the only woman to have set a number of world records with her name being on the top-10 of all-time chess players. Last year, she entered the World Chess Hall of Fame. Although Polgar doesn’t compete anymore, you can bet on rising stars of chess at Bet365.