List of female chess players

From the Middle Ages through the 1700s, 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, who was "a chess player of about his force". [http://www.monticello.org/reports/quotes/chess.html] Chess games between men and women were a common theme of European art. [http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/html/P40414493.html] [http://www.wga.hu/art/m/man/chess_pl.jpg] and literature in the fourteenth through eighteenth centuries. [http://chess.about.com/library/weekly/aa05b12.htm]

By the 1800s, however, the chess world had become dominated by male chess players, perhaps as a result of card playing becoming socially acceptable for mixed groups. Then during the twentieth century, female players again made significant progress in breaking the male stranglehold on the game, although remaining fewer than 5% of registered tournament players.

The country of Georgia produced some of the best women chessplayers of the latter twentieth century, including the first female International Grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili, who was awarded a special title in 1978. By the mid-1980s a number of women were competing regularly in events with men. In 1991, Susan Polgar became the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title on the same basis as the men, by earning Grandmaster norms.

Grandmasters

There are currently 16 female players to hold the GM title [http://ratings.fide.com/advaction.phtml?idcode=&name=&title=g&country=%25&sex=f&srating=0&erating=3000&birthday=&radio=name&line=asc] [http://michaelbluejay.com/main/womengrandmasters.html] :

There is also a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title, but the requirements for achieving it are much lower. Still, chess has not regained its former social status among women. As of 2005, no woman has ever been the world champion, and only a handful have made it to the top 500 players. Even so, the strength of women players continues to climb, and by 2005 most of the top 10 women held the Grandmaster title. In September 2005, Susan Polgar's younger sister GM Judit Polgar 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. [http://www.ajedrezcampeonatomundial2005.com/home.asp?lang=en&op=jug&id=3]

International masters

As of 2008, 75 women hold the International Master title: [http://ratings.fide.com/advaction.phtml?idcode=&name=&title=m&country=%25&sex=f&srating=0&erating=3000&birthday=&radio=name&line=asc]
* Olga Alexandrova
* Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant
* Ekaterina Atalik
* Irina Berezina
* Natasa Bojkovic
* Dagne Ciuksyte
* Viktorija Cmilyte
* Silvia Collas
* Elina Danielian
* Yelena Dembo
* Joanna Dworakowska
* Nana Dzagnidze
* Martha L. Fierro Baquero
* Cristina Adela Foisor
* Alisa Galliamova
* Inna Gaponenko
* Nino Gurieli
* Sopio Gvetadze
* Zuzana Hagarova
* Dronavalli Harika
* Jovanka Houska
* Harriet V. Hunt
* Nana Ioseliani
* Jana Jackova
* Lela Javakhishvili
* Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska
* Sopiko Khukhashvili
* Nino Khurtsidze
* Masha Klinova
* Tatiana Kononenko
* Ekaterina Korbut
* Nadezhda Kosintseva
* Tatiana Kosintseva
* Liubov Kostiukova
* Ekaterina Kovalevskaya
* Irina Krush
* Susan K. Lalic
* Tea Lanchava
* Maia Lomineishvili
* Carolina Lujan
* Ildiko Madl
* Alisa Maric
* Iulia Mashinskaya
* Ana Matnadze
* Svetlana Matveeva
* Nora Dr. Medvegy
* Salome Melia
* Lilit Mkrtchian
* Eva Moser
* Anna Muzychuk
* Evgenija Ovod
* Elisabeth Paehtz
* Corina-Isabela Peptan
* Svetlana Petrenko
* Sulennis Pina Vega
* Sofia Polgar
* Maka Purtseladze
* Iweta Rajlich
* Olita Rause
* Eva Repkova
* Elena Sedina
* Almira Skripchenko
* Monika Socko
* Elena Tairova
* Sachdev Tania
* Irina Turova
* Anna Ushenina
* Szidonia Vajda
* Irina Vasilevich
* Tatjana Vasilevich
* Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi
* Wang Yu A.
* Elena Zaiatz
* Anna Zatonskih
* Anna Zozulia

A

* Akhsharumova, Anna (1957) Russia, USA - WGM
* Alekhina, Natalia (1954) Russia - WGM
* Alekhine Grace (1876-1956) USA, United Kingdom, France
* Alexandria, Nana (1949) Georgia - WGM and IM
* Arakhamia, Ketevan (1968) Georgia - WGM and IM
* 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
*Bellin, Jana (1947) Czech, England - WGM
*Benedict, Clare (1871–1961) USA, Switzerland
*Benini, Clarice (1905–1976) Italy - WIM
*Beskow, Katarina (1867–1939) Sweden
*Bruce–Dew, Rowena (1919– ) England - WIM
*Brustman, Agnieszka (1962) Poland - WGM
*Bykova, Elisabeth (1913–1989) Russia - Women's World Champion, WGM

C

* Cardoso, Ruth (1934–2000) Brazil - WIM
* Carrasco, Berna (1914– ) Chile - WIM
* Chaudé de Silans, Chantal (1919–2004) France - WIM
* Chiburdanidze, Maia (1961) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1984
* Corke, Anya (1990) Hong Kong - WGM
* Čmilytė, Viktorija (1983) Lithuania - WGM
* Cramling, Pia (1963) Sweden - GM 1992

D

*Dembo, Yelena (1983) Russia, Israel, Hungary, Greece - WGM and IM
*Donaldson, Elena (1957) Russia, Georgia, USA - WGM
*Dzagnidze, Nana (1987) Georgia - WGM

E

* Eidelson, Rakhil (1958) Belarus - WGM
* Ereńska, Hanna (1946) Poland - WGM

F

* Fatalibekova, Elena (1947) Russia - WGM
* Fatima India, United Kingdom
* Fierro, Martha (1977) Ecuador - WGM and IM
* Forbes, Cathy (1968) England - WIM

G

* Galliamova, Alisa (1972) Russia - WGM and IM
* Gaprindashvili, Nona (1941) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1978
* Gerlecka, Regina (1913–1983) Poland
* Gilbert, Ellen (1837–1900) USA
* Gilchrist, Mary Scotland
* Graf, Sonja (1914–1965) Germany, Argentina, USA - WIM
* Gresser, Gisela (1906–2000) USA - WIM
* Guggenberger, Ilse (1942) Colombia - WIM

H

* Hamid, Rani (1944) Bangladesh - WIM
* Harum, Gisela Austria
* Heemskerk, Fenny (1919–2007) The Netherlands - WGM
* Henschel, W. Germany
* 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 - WGM
* Hund, Barbara (1959) Germany, Switzerland - WGM
* Hunt, Harriet (1978) England - WGM and IM

I

*Ioseliani, Nana (1962) Georgia - WGM and IM

J

* Jovanović, Katrina (1943) Serbia - WIM

K

* Karakas, Eva (1922–1995) Hungary - WIM
* Karff, Mona (1914–1998) Bessarabia (Moldova), Palestine, USA - WIM
* Keller-Hermann, Edith (1921) Germany - WGM
* Khoudgarian, Natalia (1975) Russia, Canada - WIM
* Konarkowska-Sokolov, Henrijeta (1938) Poland, Serbia - WGM
* Koneru, Humpy (1987) India - GM 2002
* Kosintseva, Nadezhda (1985) Russia - IM
* Kosintseva, Tatiana (1986) Russia - IM
* Kosteniuk, Alexandra (1984) Russia - GM 2004
* Kristol, Ljuba (1944) Russia, Israel - ICCF Women's World Champion
* Krush, Irina (1983) Ukraine, USA - IM
* Kushnir, Alla (1941) Russia, Israel - WGM

L

* Lahno, Kateryna (1989) Ukraine - GM 2007
* Lane, Lisa (1938) USA - WIM
* Larsen, Ingrid (1909-?) Denmark - WIM
* Lauberte, Milda (1918) Latvia - WIM
* Lazarević, Milunka (1932) Serbia - WGM
* Lemachko, Tatiana (1948) Russia, Bulgaria, Switzerland - WGM
* Levitina, Irina (1954) Russia, USA - WGM
* Litinskaya-Shul, Marta (1949) Ukraine - WGM

M

* Madl, Ildiko (1969) Hungary - WGM and IM
* Marić, Alisa (1970) USA, Serbia - WGM and IM
* Marić, Mirjana (1970) Serbia - WGM
* Marinello, Beatriz (1964) Chile - WIM
* Matveeva, Svetlana (1969) Russia - WGM
* Menchik, Olga (1908–1944) Czechia, England
* Menchik, Vera (1906–1944) Czechia, England - Women's World Champion
* Misanovic, Vesna (1964) Bosnia and Herzegovina - WGM
* Michell, Edith (1872–1951) England
* Mora, Maria Teresa (1902–1980) Cuba - WIM
* Muzychuk, Anna (1990) Ukraine, Slovenia - WGM

N

*Nedeljković, Vera (1924) Serbia - WGM
*Nicolau, Alexandra van der Mije (1940) Romania, The Netherlands - WGM

O

* Obermüller, Vera (19??-1967) Poland

P

* Pähtz, Elisabeth (1985) Germany - WGM and IM
* Paridar, Shadi (1986) Iran - WGM
* Peng, Zhaoqin (1968) People's Republic of China, Netherlands - GM 2004
* Piatigorsky, Jacqueline (1911) France, USA
* 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 - WIM
* Price, Edith (1872–1956) England

Q

* Qin Kanying (1974) People's Republic of China - WGM

R

* Rajlich, Iweta (1981) Poland - WGM and IM
* Reischer, Salome (1899-1980) Austria - WIM
* Riegler, Alessandra (1961) Italy - ICCF Women's World Champion
* Rinder, Friedl (1905–2001) Germany - WIM
* Roodzant, Catharina (1896–1999) The Netherlands
* Roos, Nancy (1905-1957) United States
* Rootare, Salme (1913–1987) Estonia - WIM
* Ross, Laura (1988) United States - WFM
* 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

* Schwartzmann, Paulette (1910–19??) Latvia, France, Argentina
* Sebag, Marie (1986) France - WGM and IM
* Semenova, Lidia (1951) Ukraine - WGM
* Shahade, Jennifer (1980) USA - WGM
* Skripchenko, Almira (1976) Moldova, France - IM
* Soćko, Monika (1978) Poland - WGM
* Starr, Nava (1949) Latvia, Canada - WIM
* Stefanova, Antoaneta (1979) Bulgaria - Women's World Champion, GM 2003
* Stevenson, Agnes (18??–1935) England
* Stock, Lara (1992) Germany, Croatia WIM
* Sukhareva, Olga (1984) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion

T

* Tonini, Alice Italy
* Tranmer, Eileen (1910–1983) England - WIM

U

V

*Verőci, Zsuzsa (1949) Hungary - WGM
*Volpert, Larisa (1926) Russia - WGM

W

* Wolf-Kalmar, Paula (1881–1931) Austria

X

* Xie Jun (1970) People's Republic of China - Women's World champion, GM 1994
* Xu Yuhua (1976) People's Republic of China - Women's World champion, GM 2007

Y

* Yakovleva, Lora (1932) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion

Z

* Zatonskih, Anna (1978) Ukraine, USA - WGM
* Zatulovskaya, Tatiana (1935) Azerbaijan, Russia, Israel - WGM
* Zhao Xue (1985) People's Republic of China - WGM
* Zhu Chen (1976) People's Republic of China, Qatar - Women's World champion, GM 2001
* Zvorykina, Kira (1920) Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria - WGM

ee also

*Women's World Chess Championship
*U.S. Women's Chess Championship
*

External links

* [http://www.fide.com/ratings/top.phtml?cod=2 Women's top ratings on FIDE.com]