How Prevalent Is Sexism In Chess?

Introduction 

Sexism has been a major problem in chess for many decades which has caused females to be underrepresented in chess, especially at the professional level. Females have just as much potential to excel in chess alongside their male counterparts however the sexism within the chess industry has had a negative impact on the number of female chess players at the highest levels in chess as well as the inclination for women to take up chess as a profession. In this article i will explore the history of sexism in chess, the ratio of female to male chess players, the impacts of sexism in chess, possible solutions to combat sexism in chess and much more.  

Historical Evidence of Sexism In Chess 

There is a long history of sexism in chess and many prominent chess players have demonstrated sexism towards female chess players publicly. Female chess players have been underrepresented in chess for decades especially at the highest levels and often compete in segregated tournaments. Female chess players also make up a small percentage of titled chess players and a small percentage of chess players as whole.  

Sexism has been prevalent in chess for decades and sexism is one of the reasons for the segregation of men and women’s chess. Prominent chess players such as Bobby Fischer, Nigel Short, and Ilya Smirin have publicly expressed their lack of respect for female chess players and their thoughts on women having an inability to play chess as well as men. Women often compete in segregated chess tournaments such as the women’s world chess championship and they also have their own class of titles in chess that are worth less than the male equivalent titles such as women’s candidate master, women’s FIDE master, women’s international master, and women’s grandmaster. Sexism has been present in chess for over 120 years and women were not permitted to join chess clubs until the early 1900’s. Once women were permitted to join chess clubs, they were only allowed to compete against other female chess players however their aptitude for chess did not go unnoticed as once they were permitted to join chess clubs many female chess players almost instantly began to break free from the negative stereotypes that were placed on them by their male counterparts regarding their lack of skill in chess. Women in chess have been subject to sexism, harassment, and sexual harassment for decades and many women in chess still battle with these abuses today which has undoubtedly resulted in females representing a much smaller percentage of chess players at all levels in chess.  

Some of the comments that prominent male chess players have made regarding female chess players include “women are terrible at chess because women are not so smart” which was a comment that Bobby Fischer made in response to a question he was asked regarding women in chess during an interview in 1963. However, Bobby Fischer’s outlook on women in chess changed due to the rise of female chess players such as Vera Menchik and Nona Gaprindaschwili as he publicly acknowledged their talent in chess in an interview several years later in 1972. During an interview on Sky News in 2015 Nigel Short responded to a question regarding the ratings gap between men and women in chess by stating that women may not be as biologically suited to perform as well as men in chess which caused him to receive a lot of criticism from the female chess community. In 2022 FIDE fired chess grandmaster Ilya Smirin for making sexist comments during the women’s FIDE Grand Prix 2022-23 tournament as he stated that “chess may not be for women” as well as praising a female chess player for playing like a man during a live broadcast which caused an uproar within the female chess community. Although FIDE has been strict with male chess players displaying overtly sexist attitudes towards women in chess in the past, in 2023 the CEO of FIDE released a poll which inconspicuously highlighted the lack of attention that the chess match between Ju Wenjun and Lei Tingjie would receive and in which the majority of voters stated that they were not interested in viewing the match.  

Representation of Women In Chess 

Female chess players represent a very small percentage of chess players at all levels which has been the case for decades due to various reasons. Women in chess have historically faced sexual harassment, sexist jokes, and criticism from their male counterparts which may be some of the reasons why females make up such a small percentage of chess players around the world, especially at the professional level.   

Women are undoubtedly underrepresented in chess and account for an estimated 10% to 15% of the global chess playing population compared to men that account for 90% to 85% of the global chess playing population which may explain why females make up such a small percentage of titled chess players among all classes. There has never been a female world chess champion which is likely also due to the fact that women represent a small percentage of the global chess playing population. There are currently only 42 women in the world that hold the title of grandmaster out of 1721 grandmasters, 134 women hold the title of international master out of over 3900 international masters, 326 women have been able to achieve the title of women’s grandmaster, 856 women have achieved the title of women’s international master, 1892 women have achieved the title of women’s FIDE master, 884 women have achieved the title of women’s candidate master, 54 women have achieved the title of FIDE master out of 8,829 FIDE masters, and only 22 women have achieved the title of candidate master out of 2,378 candidate master’s. The lack of participation of women in chess has a major impact on the opportunities that are available to women in chess as well as their ability to secure the same financial rewards as men such as sponsorship and endorsement deals, tournament prize rewards, and media appearances.  

Chess has been a male dominated sport since it’s inception and women have only been permitted to enter chess clubs for over 120 years. Women’s entry into chess clubs enabled them to participate in formal competitive chess games such as local, national, and international chess tournaments. Women’s entry into chess clubs also paved the way for the introduction of women’s only chess organisations and competitions such as the women’s world chess championship which was founded in 1927. Although men have dominated chess for centuries and as a result men have historically exhibited an ability to outperform women in chess, women’s official entry into chess allowed them to improve drastically in chess by playing stronger chess players in formal chess games, breaking social barriers in the process and long held societal perceptions of women’s intellectual capacities. Vera Menchik was the first and longest reigning women’s world chess champion and was the first women to compete in high level tournaments among the best chess players in the world. Vera Menchik played an instrumental role in women’s chess during the 20^th century and her success in chess helped to break some of the long-held misconceptions about women’s ability to play chess whilst also gaining the respect of both prominent male and female chess players.  

Gender Bias and Stereotypes In The Chess Community 

Gender bias and stereotypes are very common in chess which many female chess players can attest to. Many female chess players have experienced instances of bigotry, sexual harassment, discrimination, and criticism due to their gender and negative stereotypes that have been placed on them. Female chess players are also less financially compensated in chess than their male counterparts. 

Gender bias has a major impact on the financial opportunities that are available to women in chess as well as the way female chess players are perceived and treated in the chess industry. Male chess players are in a much better position to earn a living from chess compared to female chess players as men’s chess tournaments typically have much higher prize rewards than women’s chess tournaments. Women in chess usually have to work much harder than men to receive the necessary attention and financial support needed to reach the heights men in chess have reached which is one of the reasons why women’s chess tournaments have much smaller prize rewards. Chess is undoubtedly a male dominated sport which has been the case for decades and as a result the chess community has grown much more accustomed to viewing men play chess rather than women which explains why women’s tournaments may not garner as much interest from the wider chess community. There are also much less female chess players at the highest levels than male chess players which could also explain why women’s chess tournaments receive less attention and financial support from the chess community and sponsors. The underrepresentation of women in chess however is partly due to the negative stereotypes and criticism that women have experienced whilst attempting to get into chess.  

A large percentage of women have experienced bigotry, sexual harassment, and criticism during their careers in chess which may explain the low participation rates of women in chess at all levels, especially when such negative criticisms have come from prominent chess players in the industry such as Bobby Fischer, Nigel Short, Ilya Smirin and many others. Women have been perceived as being less able to perform at high levels in chess for decades even though the success of numerous female chess players such as Vera Menchik, Nona Gaprindashvili, and Judit Polgar have debunked such assumptions and proved that these stereotypes are mostly based on long held prejudices towards women rather than facts. The negative stereotypes that have been placed on women in chess may also explain the low viewership of women’s chess tournaments especially at the highest levels. For instance, in response to a poll that the CEO of FIDE created on twitter to measure the chess communities’ level of interest in the 2023 women’s world chess championship match between Ju Wenjun and Lei Tingjie, the majority of the chess community showed a lack of interest in the result of the match and the tournament through their votes as over 35% of voters expressed that they would rather watch something else.  

Disparities In Prize Rewards, Sponsorship Deals, And Recognition 

Women’s chess tournaments receive much less attention and financial support than men’s chess tournaments and as a result there is a large gap between the prize rewards, opportunities for sponsorship deals, and recognition for women’s chess tournaments compared to men’s chess tournaments. The majority of the richest chess players in the world are men and within the list of the top ten richest chess players in the world only one woman, Judit Polgar, has been able to achieve the same level of success as some of the richest male chess players in the world.  

The prize rewards for women’s chess tournaments are significantly lower than men’s chess tournaments for reasons such as the lower viewership of women’s chess tournaments compared to men’s chess tournaments, the lack of funding for women’s chess tournaments, and the lack of female chess players at high levels in chess. The infrequency of chess tournaments has a major impact on the ability for male but especially female chess players to earn money from chess as chess tournaments are usually held every two years although some chess tournaments are held every year. The 2024-25 women’s FIDE grand prix chess tournament has a first-place prize reward of only 30,000 Euros whereas the men’s FIDE grand prix usually has a total prize pot of hundreds of thousands to over 1 million Euros in which the first-place prize reward usually ranges from tens of thousands on the lower end of the spectrum to hundreds of thousands of Euros. The prize rewards for the women’s world chess cup ranges from 50,000 dollars for first place and 20,000 dollars for fourth place whilst the men’s world chess cup prize rewards ranges from 10,000 dollars for first place and 50,000 dollars for fourth place. The world chess championship has a total prize fund of 2.5 million dollars and each player receives 200,000 dollars for each game that they win whereas the 2023 women’s world chess championship had a total prize fund of 500,000 Euros and the prize rewards ranged from 300,000 Euros for first place, which was awarded to Ju Wenjun and 200,000 Euros for the runner up, which was awarded to Lei Tingjie.  

Women’s chess tournaments have struggled for a long time to attract sponsors and without major corporate sponsors women will continue to make significantly less money from chess than men. Unlike the men’s chess tournaments that have always been able to secure major corporate sponsors from companies such as IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Adidas, G-STAR RAW, Google, Vodafone, and Coca Cola to name just a few, women’s chess tournaments have a much smaller list of corporate sponsors. One of the corporate sponsors that has sponsored women’s chess tournaments has stirred up much resentment among female chess players that feel as though the sponsorship deal does more to damage the perception of women in chess rather than to empower them. In 2021 FIDE announced that the official sponsor for the 2022 women’s world chess championship would be the breast enlargement company Motiva which sparked an outrage within the female chess community as many female chess players regarded the deal as “misogynistic and gross”. However, other female chess players such as the Norwegian women’s international master Sheila Barth Stanford regarded the deal as necessary for women in chess as it is the biggest sponsorship deal in history for women’s chess that will also provide the much-needed financial support that has historically been lacking for professional women’s chess tournaments. Many female chess players feel as though such deals are backhanded, add to the negative stereotypes that women in chess have had to battle with for decades and make it harder for female chess players to gain genuine recognition in chess for their talent whilst it also has the potential to encourage more instances of sexual harassment and sexist behaviour within the wider chess community.  

Sexual Harassment, Abuse, And Discrimination In The Chess Community 

Hundreds of women in chess have experienced sexual harassment, sexual abuse, racism, and discrimination from fellow members of the chess community which includes chess players, chess trainers, and chess coaches which has caused a plethora of women to quit chess. Many female chess players genuinely feel vulnerable whilst attending chess tournaments and even during training sessions with chess coaches and chess trainers as there are numerous examples of women that have been taken advantage of by prominent male figures within the chess community.  

There are dozens of claims that have been made by female chess players regarding instances where they have been sexually harassed, abused, and discriminated against by prominent members of the chess community which includes by fellow chess players, chess trainers, and chess coaches. Whilst many female chess players have come forward with their stories in order to prevent such incidents from reoccurring, both to themselves and to other female chess players, there are still much more female chess players that choose to remain silent about what they have experienced during their careers in chess. Such occurrences are prevalent in almost all levels in chess and often go unnoticed and unchecked by the regulatory bodies that exist to prevent such instances from taking place within the chess community. Numerous female chess players have quit playing chess as a result of the negative experiences that they have faced whilst pursuing their chess careers. Some of the most prominent female chess players that have publicly expressed their frustration with the chess community includes Jovanka Houska, Jennifer Shahade, Mathilde Congiu, Susan Polgar, Andreea Navrotescu, Ayelen Martinez, Sabrina Chevannes, and Emilia Castelao. Sexism has plagued the chess community for decades and has a massive impact on women in chess and their perception of the male chess players and authoritative figures within the wider chess community.  

Addressing the issues with sexism that female chess players constantly battle with in chess is vital for the future of women in chess as it will alleviate the fears that women have around navigating the male dominated chess industry and encourage more women to consider taking up chess as a career path and pursue their ambitions to become chess players. Many female chess players genuinely feel vulnerable whilst attending chess tournaments and even whilst taking lessons from chess trainers and chess coaches as some of their experiences with sexism has come from interacting with male figures within these environments. Even though there are strict policies within FIDE’s ethics and disciplinary code that exist to protect chess players from abuse, harassment, and discrimination, allegedly there have been instances where women such as Sabrina Chevannes have complained to FIDE regarding her and other women’s, including minors, experiences of sexism, abuse, and harassment during official chess tournaments to no avail, which has caused many women in chess to lose trust in the chess community. Although FIDE recently banned an international master from attending and participating in official FIDE events due to his conduct involving instances of sexual harassment outside of official chess events and have partnered with Safe Sport International to develop a framework for ensuring the safety of chess players, much more can be done to create a safe environment for women in chess. 

Sexism’s Impact on The Performance And Participation Rates of Female Chess Players 

Sexism has deterred many female chess players from pursuing careers in chess which partly explains the low participation rates of female chess players. Women make up a very small percentage of titled chess players and the sexism that is prevalent in chess does not provide an incentive for women currently pursuing careers in chess to persist or younger women that are considering taking up chess as a career path.  

Sexism has severely limited the number of women that pursue chess as a career as well as the performance of female chess players during chess tournaments and chess training sessions. Numerous prominent figures within the chess community have openly expressed their negative perceptions of women in chess both publicly and during personal interactions with female chess players which has undoubtedly had a negative effect on women in chess. Whilst prominent male chess players have historically been less supportive of women in chess and have often questioned their place within the chess community, the media has been much more supportive of female chess players and have highlighted their potential in chess through movies such as “The Queen’s Gambit” which was released on Netflix in 2020. The television series, The Queen’s Gambit, had a major impact on female chess players around the world and the release of The Queen’s Gambit was a major catalyst that influenced the decision of numerous women to begin playing chess professionally. Although movies such as The Queen’s Gambit has encouraged many women to play chess the major issue of sexism in chess still overshadows the perception women have of the male dominated chess community and the negative perception that a large number of males within the chess community have of female chess players.  

Female chess players that have experienced sexism such as sexual harassment and abuse during chess tournaments have had to balance dealing with the trauma of such events whilst simultaneously focusing on their game, in some cases whilst the perpetrators were still amongst them, which are circumstances that can significantly affect a woman’s ability to perform at their best. Numerous female chess players have expressed their frustration at their inability to just focus on chess without having to deal with the social barriers that have been imposed on them and that male chess players are immune to. Chess is already an extremely mentally demanding game which requires an immense amount of focus to perform optimally, and which according to the testimonies of numerous female chess players, is generally much easier for men than women in chess due to the sexism that women constantly have to battle with. The sexism that is prevalent in chess has caused many female chess players to quit chess and many others to reconsider pursuing a career in chess which may explain why the participation rates of women in chess are so low. Women enjoy playing chess just as much as men however the absence of a framework that protects women from sexual harassment, abuse, and discrimination will ensure that the participation rates of females in chess does not grow.  

The Effects of Women Only Chess Tournaments And Chess Titles 

Women’s only chess tournaments and women’s only chess titles are viewed as positive by some women and negative by other women in chess. Women’s only chess tournaments provide a much safer space for women to compete in chess tournaments without having to deal with sexism however they severely limit the rate at which women are able to improve in chess. Many women in chess also feel as though the existence of women’s only chess titles also perpetuate the idea that women are inferior to men in chess and creates separation within the chess community.  

Women’s only chess tournaments can be viewed as an effective way to prevent women from experiencing sexism during chess tournaments however the very existence of women’s only chess tournaments also proves how prevalent sexism is in the chess industry. Additionally, women’s only chess tournaments creates separation within the chess community and obscures the true ratings of both male and female chess players. The separation of male and female chess tournaments makes it much more difficult for women to develop their skills in chess as it limits the number of high rated chess players that women can compete against which makes it challenging for women to improve their game. Some of the other detrimental effects of separating male and female chess tournaments includes the large disparity between the attention each type of tournament receives and the large disparity in the earning potential of male and female chess players. Men’s chess tournaments receive much more attention than women’s chess tournaments and as a result men’s chess tournaments typically have better access to high quality corporate sponsorships and male chess players are thus able to earn much more money. Although the separation of male and female chess tournaments is an excellent way to protect women in chess from the harmful effects of sexism it forces women in chess to sacrifice their development as chess players for safety and peace of mind. 

Women’s only chess titles share many of the negative connotations that women’s only chess tournaments have as some chess players argue that they both perpetuate the negative stereotypes that women in chess have battled with for decades. Women’s chess titles are worth less than the standard equivalents for instance the women’s grandmaster title is worth less than the standard grandmaster title. Although there are some chess players that view the distinction between standard titles and women’s only titles as negative there are also some chess players that view them as positive and an effective way to highlight the fact that there are fewer female chess players than men so that they can be rewarded accordingly. Chess players that view women’s only titles as negative argue that women can compete equally with men and should be judged by the same standards as men and thus do not need their own class of titles based on their gender. Although many sports have different leagues for males and females due to the physical nature of most sports and the clear advantages males have over females in that respect as chess is purely mental many chess players feel that the distinction between men and women’s titles in chess is unnecessary. Both sides have valid points which will require further debates in order to come to a fair resolution that both men and women can agree on.  

Solutions And Measures To Address Sexism In Chess 

Some of the measures that can be taken to eliminate sexism in chess includes having stricter expectations on the behaviour of the chess community both inside and outside of professional chess events, definitive procedures for handling incidents involving sexism, and significant penalties for members of the chess community that display sexist behaviour whether inside or outside of official chess events.  

There have been numerous instances of sexism that female chess players have reported that have not been properly addressed which has allowed the practitioners of sexist behaviour towards female chess players to continue. Failing to address the complaints that have been made by female chess players regarding their experiences with sexism has also emboldened the perpetrators of such behaviours whilst also decreasing the likelihood of other victims of sexism coming forward. The absence of a safeguarding framework that protects women in chess from sexism has also made it difficult for female chess players to share their experiences as for a long-time women in chess simply had no system of redress that could effectively resolve the issues with sexism that they were facing. FIDE recently partnered with Safe Sport International to begin developing a safeguarding framework within FIDE to address social issues such as sexism however many female chess players feel as though much more can be done to ensure their safety within the chess community. Prominent female chess players such as Judit Polgar, Ayelen Martinez, Jennifer Shahade, Anna Rudolf, Lula Roberts, Fiona Steil-Antoni, and Alisa Melekhina have suggested possible solutions that could help to combat the sexism that has been prevelant in chess.  

Some of the measures that they suggested includes the creation of a sexual harassment policy, a system for receiving and handling complaints, a dispute resolution mechanism, effective procedures for investigating and resolving complaints, and a system for investigating false claims. The chess community would also benefit from having stricter and definitive expectations on how members of the chess community should behave, definitive procedures for handling incidents involving sexism, and significant penalties for members of the chess community that display sexist behaviour both inside and outside of official chess events. These policies should also protect women in the chess community from unmerited accusations of cheating which many female chess players have experienced after performing better than expected during chess tournaments. Having policies and penalties in place to handle incidents involving sexism will significantly reduce the levels of sexism within the chess community as the absence of such precautionary measures has enabled sexism to thrive for decades. The presence and enforcement of a safeguarding framework within the chess community will also increase the likelihood of more women pursuing chess professionally as the absence of such protections for women in the past caused numerous female chess players to quit chess for good and has likely deterred even more females from considering chess as a worthwhile career path.  

Prominent Female Chess Players Breaking Stereotypes 

Female chess players have been breaking records since they were officially permitted to join chess clubs in the early 1900’s. The most prominent female chess players of the 20^th century that highlighted the potential of women in chess were Vera Menchik and Nona Gaprindashvili. The 21^st century has seen a significant rise in female chess players that are constantly breaking the stereotypes that have been placed on women in chess. Some of the most prominent female chess players of the 21^st century include Judit Polgar, Susan Polgar, Hou Yifan, Lei Tingjie, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Ju Wenjun, and Alexandra Kosteniuk.  

Women have demonstrated their aptitude for chess for decades and have been breaking records since the early 1900’s, when they were first permitted to join official chess clubs. The 20^th century was undoubtedly a period that coincided with much higher rates of sexism in the chess community however female chess players such as Vera Menchik and Nona Gaprindashvili were still able to thrive in chess despite being some of the only women in a male dominated industry. The achievements of female chess players such as Vera Menchik and Nona Gaprindashvili highlighted the potential of women in chess and helped to break the negative stereotypes that were placed on women in chess by males within the chess community. Additionally, the success of the early 20^th century female chess pioneers paved the way for more women to enter the chess industry which includes players such as Judit Polgar, Susan Polgar, Pia Cramling, Maia Chiburdanidze, and Xie Jun. Many of the 20^th century female chess players also reigned as women’s world chess champions during their career. Nona Gaprindashvili was the longest reigning women’s world chess champion of the 20^th century who reigned for 16 years from 1962 to 1978, Maia Chiburdanidze was the second longest reigning women’s world chess champion of the 20^th century who reigned for 13 years from 1978 to 1991, and Xie Jun was the third longest reigning women’s world chess champion of the 20^th century who reigned for 10 years from 1991 to 2001.  

Whilst there were a handful of women in the 20^th century that achieved extraordinary feats in chess, the 21^st century brought with it a significant rise in female chess players as well as female chess players that secured the title of the women’s world chess championship whilst simultaneously breaking some of the negative stereotypes that have been placed on women in chess. Some of the most prominent female chess players of the 21^st century that reigned as the women’s world chess champion includes Zhu Chen, Antoaneta Stefanova, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Xu Yuhua, Hou Yifan, Ju Wenjun, Anna Ushenina, Mariya Muzychuk, and Tan Zhongyi. The current women’s world chess champion is Ju Wenjun from China who has held the title since 2018 and successfully defended it against Lei Tingjie during the 2023 women’s world chess championship match. The four strongest female chess players of the 21^st century, Ju Wenjun, Judit Polgar, Hou Yifan, and Maia Chiburdanidze, are all grandmasters however three of them, Judit Polgar, Hou Yifan, and Maia Chiburdanidze have all defeated prominent male grandmasters in chess such as Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, and Bobby Fischer who were all defeated by Judit Polgar. Peter Leko, Ruslan Ponomariov, and Fabiano Caruana who were all defeated by Hou Yifan, and Nigel Short who lost two chess matches against Maia Chiburdanidze in 1983 and 1985.  

Conclusion 

Sexism has been prevalent in chess for over 120 years however the levels of sexism in chess has been decreasing although many female chess players still feel the effects of it today. Numerous female chess players have experienced instances of sexual harassment, abuse, and discrimination whilst pursuing their chess career which has caused several female chess players to quit. There is a significant gap in the participation rates of male and female chess players which accounts for the low levels of female chess players that play at the professional level and that have been able to achieve titles. The disparity in the earning potential of male and female chess players is also one of the major factors that contributes to the low participation rates of women in chess as men’s chess tournaments are much better able to secure significant corporate sponsors and as a result men’s chess tournaments typically have much higher prize rewards. However, the women in chess that have remained consistent despite the high levels of sexism within the chess community have been able to break many of the negative stereotypes that have been placed on them and highlight the potential of female chess players whilst also inspiring the next generation of female chess players.