From the Middle Ages through the 18th century, chess

Chess

Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...

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

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

 wrote several times about Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...

's playing chess in Paris with socially important women, including the Duchess of Bourbon, who was "a chess player of about his force". Chess games between men and women were a common theme of European art and literature in the fourteenth through 18th centuries.

By the 19th century, 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 20th 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 chess players of the latter 20th century, including the first female International Grandmaster

International Grandmaster

The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....

 Nona Gaprindashvili

Nona Gaprindashvili

Nona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....

, 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

Susan Polgar

Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...

 became the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title on the same basis as the men, by earning Grandmaster norm

Grandmaster norm

A norm in chess is one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE.- Grandmaster norm :In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a...

s.

Grandmasters

There are currently 22 female players to hold the GM title:

Name	Country	Birth Date	Date	Age	Earned	World Champion Women's World Chess Championship The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....	Peak Rating	Notes
Nona Gaprindashvili Nona Gaprindashvili Nona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....	Georgia (country)	1941-05-03	1978	37	WCC Women's World Chess Championship The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....	1962–1978	2381	First female grandmaster
Maia Chiburdanidze Maia Chiburdanidze Maia Chiburdanidze is a Georgian chess grandmaster, and the seventh Women's World Chess Champion. She is the only chess player in history who has won nine Chess Olympiads....	Georgia (country)	1961-01-17	1984	23	WCC Women's World Chess Championship The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....	1978–1991	2550
Susan Polgar Susan Polgar Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...	Hungary	1969-04-19	1991	22	norms	1996–1999	2577	First to be awarded the title traditionally
Judit Polgár Judit Polgár Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...	Hungary	1976-07-23	1991	15	norms	–	2735	Youngest grandmaster ever at the time
Xie Jun Xie Jun Xie Jun is a chess grandmaster from China. She had two reigns as Women's World Chess Champion, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001. Xie is only the second woman to have two reigns, the other being Elisabeth Bykova....	Mainland China	1970-10-30	1991	21	WCC Women's World Chess Championship The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....	1991–1996,1999–2001	2574
Pia Cramling Pia Cramling Pia Cramling is a Swedish chess grandmaster. Since the early 1980s, she has been one of the strongest female players in the world....	Sweden	1963-04-23	1992	29	norms	–	2550
Zhu Chen Zhu Chen Zhu Chen is a chess Grandmaster. In 2001, she became China's second women's world chess champion after Xie Jun, and China's 13th Grandmaster.She today plays for Qatar.-Biography:...	Mainland China	1976-03-16	2001	25	norms	2001–2004	2548
Humpy Koneru	India	1987-03-31	2002	15	norms	–	2622
Antoaneta Stefanova Antoaneta Stefanova Antoaneta Stefanova is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster, and a former Women's World Chess Champion. She became the twelfth holder of that title in 2004 in a 64-player knockout tournament held in Elista, Kalmykia under the auspices of FIDE....	Kingdom of Bulgaria	1979-04-19	2003	25	norms	2004–2006	2560
Alexandra Kosteniuk Alexandra Kosteniuk Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk is a Russian chess Grandmaster and a former Women's World Chess Champion.-Chess career:Kosteniuk learned to play chess at the age of five after being taught by her father...	Russia	1984-03-23	2004	20	EWC	2008–2010	2540
Peng Zhaoqin Peng Zhaoqin Peng Zhaoqin is a female Chinese chess player, who has resided in the Netherlands since 1996...	Mainland China	1968-05-08	2004	36	EWC	–	2472
Hoang Thanh Trang Hoang Thanh Trang Hoang Thanh Trang is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster.Her current FIDE Elo rating is 2487.Hoang was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, and was ten years old when her family moved to Budapest....	Vietnam	1980-04-25	2007	27	norms	–	2501
Kateryna Lahno	Ukraine	1989-12-27	2007	17	norms	–	2509
Xu Yuhua	Mainland China	1976-10-29	2007	30	WCC Women's World Chess Championship The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....	2006–2008	2517
Marie Sebag Marie Sebag Marie Sebag is a French chess player, who won the French Chess Championship for women in 2000 and 2002.-Tournament results:...	Early Modern France	1986-10-15	2008	21	norms	–	2533
Zhao Xue Zhao Xue Zhao Xue is a Chinese chess player who holds the Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster titles. In 2008, she became China's 24th Grandmaster.-Career:...	Mainland China	1985-04-06	2008	23	norms	–	2544
Hou Yifan Hou Yifan Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess prodigy. She is the reigning Women's World Chess Champion, the youngest ever to win the title, as well as the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of Grandmaster.At the age of 12, Hou became the youngest player ever to participate in the FIDE Women's...	Mainland China	1994-02-27	2008	14	norms	2010–	2612	Youngest ever female grandmaster
Nana Dzagnidze Nana Dzagnidze Nana Dzagnidze is a chess player from Georgia, who achieved the title of International Grandmaster in 2008.-Youth success:As a junior player, she showed early promise by winning the World Girls Under-12 Championship in 1999...	Georgia (country)	1987-01-01	2008	21	norms	–	2536
Monika Soćko Monika Socko Monika Soćko is a Polish chess player. She won the Polish women's chess championship four times . She is married to Polish GM Bartosz Soćko....	Poland	1978-03-24	2008	30	norms	–	2505
Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan Revazovna Arakhamia-Grant is a Georgian -born Scottish Grandmaster of chess.-Chess career:...	Georgia (country)	1968-07-19	2009	40	norms	–	2506
Tatiana Kosintseva Tatiana Kosintseva Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player who has achieved the FIDE title of Grandmaster...	Russia	1986-04-11	2009	23	norms	–	2539
Natalia Zhukova Natalia Zhukova Natalia Zhukova is a Ukrainian Grandmaster of chess. She won several age-group titles as a teenager, both at the European and World levels. She has also triumphed in several international women's tournaments...	Ukraine	1979-06-05	2010	30	norms	–	2499

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 2011, 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 Polgár

Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...

 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.

International masters

, 81 women hold the International Master title:

• Ekaterina Atalik
• Irina Berezina
• Anastasia Bodnaruk
• Natasa Bojkovic
• Angela Borsuk
• Dagne Ciuksyte
• Viktorija Čmilytė
  Viktorija Cmilyte
  Viktorija Čmilytė is a Lithuanian chess player with the titles of Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster . She won the gold medal at the Women's European Individual Chess Championship in 2011...
  
  
• Silvia Collas
• Elina Danielian
  Elina Danielian
  Elina Danielian is an Armenian chess grandmaster and six times Armenian Women's champion. She played in the gold medal-winning Armenian Women's team in the 5th European Team Chess Championship in Plovdiv 2003...
  
  
• Yelena Dembo
  Yelena Dembo
  Yelena Dembo is a Greek International Master of chess. On the May 2010 FIDE rating list for women, she is ranked 31st in the world, with a rating of 2470. She became a Woman Grandmaster when she was seventeen years old, and an International Master at age nineteen...
  
  
• Joanna Dworakowska
  Joanna Dworakowska
  Joanna Dworakowska is a Polish chess player. She won the Polish women's championship three times , and holds the FIDE ranks of International Master and Woman Grandmaster....
  
  
• Martha L. Fierro Baquero
• Cristina Adela Foisor
• Alisa Galliamova
  Alisa Galliamova
  Alisa Galliamova is a Russian chess player, who was born to Russian father and Tatar mother. She holds the FIDE titles Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1988 she won the World Junior Girls Chess Championship...
  
  
• Inna Gaponenko
• Anita Gara
  Anita Gara
  Anita Gara is a Hungarian chess woman grandmaster and three time Hungarian Chess Championship winner....
  
  
• Rusudan Goletiani
  Rusudan Goletiani
  Rusudan Goletiani is a Georgian-American chess player. She won the 2005 U.S. Women's Chess Championship and the Woman's Chess Champion for the Americas Continents . She has achieved the FIDE International Woman Grandmaster title...
  
  
• Nino Gurieli
• Sopio Gvetadze
• Dronavalli Harika
  Dronavalli Harika
  Dronavalli Harika is an Indian chess player. She was born on January 12, 1991 in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, and learned to play chess at age 7. She holds the titles of Grandmaster, Woman Grandmaster and International Master....
  
  
• Jovanka Houska
  Jovanka Houska
  Jovanka Houska is an English chess player with the titles International Master and Woman Grandmaster .-Formative years:...
  
  
• Harriet V. Hunt
• Nana Ioseliani
  Nana Ioseliani
  Nana Mikhailovna Ioseliani is a Georgian woman chess player. She has held the FIDE Woman Grandmaster title since 1980, and the International Master title since 1993....
  
  
• Jana Jacková
  Jana Jacková
  Jana Jacková is a Czech chess player. She played for the Czech team in following Chess Olympiads: Elista 1998, Istanbul 2000, Bled 2002, Calvià 2004, Turin 2006 and Dresden 2008....
  
  
• Lela Javakhishvili
• Ketino Kachiani-Gersinska

• Bela Khotenashvili
• Sopiko Khukhashvili
• Nino Khurtsidze
  Nino Khurtsidze
  Nino Khurtsidze is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She resides in Tbilisi, Georgia. In 2005 she was the number two rated woman chess player in Georgia with a FIDE rating of 2420. She won the World Junior Girls Chess Championship in 1993 and 1995.In 2004 she came second behind Evgeny Shaposhnikov in...
  
  
• Masha Klinova
• Tatiana Kononenko
• Ekaterina Korbut
• Nadezhda Kosintseva
  Nadezhda Kosintseva
  Nadezhda Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player. She holds the title of Grandmaster....
  
  
• Liubov Kostiukova
• Ekaterina Kovalevskaya
  Ekaterina Kovalevskaya
  Ekaterina Kovalevskaya is a Russian chess player with the titles International Master and Woman Grandmaster . She won the Russian women's championship in 1994 and 2000. and was runner-up in the Women's World Chess Championship 2004.-External links:...
  
  
• Irina Krush
  Irina Krush
  Irina Krush is an American chess player who won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in 1998, 2007, and 2010. Born in Odessa, USSR , she is widely known for her series of chess training videos, the "Krushing Attacks" series.Krush learned to play chess at age five, emigrating with her parents to...
  
  
• Susan K. Lalic
• Tea Lanchava
• Li Ruofan
  Li Ruofan
  Li Ruofan is a Chinese chess player who holds the FIDE titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster.Notable title victories include the 2001 Asian Women's Chess Championship in Chennai, and the 2006 Chinese Women's Chess Championship in Wuxi with a result of 8.5/12.She played for the China...
  
  
• Maia Lomineishvili
• Carolina Lujan
• Ildikó Mádl
  Ildiko Madl
  Ildikó Mádl is a Hungarian chess player.Madl learned to play chess from her father. In 1978 she became a pupil of the chess school Mereszjev that helped to promote talented Hungarian children and teenagers....
  
  
• Alisa Marić
  Alisa Maric
  Alisa Marić is a Serbian chess player, who holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She is living in Belgrade, capital of Serbia . She has dual citizenship, Serbian and American...
  
  
• Iulia Mashinskaya
• Ana Matnadze
• Svetlana Matveeva
  Svetlana Matveeva
  Svetlana Matveeva is a chess player from Russia. She is a Woman Grandmaster and an International master.In 1984, she tied for first with Anna Akhsharumova in the Women's Soviet Chess Championship...
  
  
• Nora Dr. Medvegy
• Salome Melia
• Sophie Milliet
  Sophie Milliet
  Sophie Milliet is a French chess player and the current national women's champion.She was raised in the French town of Castelnau-le-Lez and learned to play chess at the age of four. Her endeavours at junior level showed good promise and catapulted her Elo rating over the 2100 mark by the time she...
  
  
• Lilit Mkrtchian
  Lilit Mkrtchian
  Lilit Mkrtchian is an Armenian grandmaster and four-times Armenian Women's champion.Mkrtchian won the silver medal in the European Individual Chess Championship in Varna, Bulgaria, scoring 8.5/11 points. She participated in the European Team Chess Championship 2003 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, helping...
  
  
• Eva Moser
• Batkhuyag Munguntuul
  Batkhuyag Munguntuul
  Batkhuyagiin Möngöntuul is a Mongolian chess player. She holds the titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster. In May 2010 she finished 7th at the Women's FIDE Grand Prix played in Nalchik.- External links :*...
  
  
• Anna Muzychuk
  Anna Muzychuk
  Anna Olegivna Muzychuk is a chess player with a FIDE rating of 2528 . She earned the title of Woman Grandmaster in 2004 and the title of International Master in 2007. In 2004 she became a member of the Slovenian chess federation, where she is the strongest female chess player...
  
  

• Mariya Muzychuk
  Mariya Muzychuk
  Mariya Muzychuk is a Ukrainian chess player.Muzychuk is an International Master and Woman Grandmaster. In November 2010 was ranked as the fifth-highest girl player in the world...
  
  
• Evgenija Ovod
• Elisabeth Paehtz
• Corina Peptan
  Corina Peptan
  Corina Isabela Peptan is a Romanian chess master. Her peak FIDE rating was 2485 in July 2003, the highest ranked Romanian woman player ever....
  
  
• Svetlana Petrenko
• Sofia Polgar
• Maka Purtseladze
• Iweta Rajlich
  Iweta Rajlich
  Iweta Rajlich is a Polish chess International Master and Woman Grandmaster, multiple winner of Women Chess Championships of Poland. As of April 2009, she is the 54th ranked female chess player in the world with an Elo rating of 2424.She married Vasik Rajlich on 19 August 2006. Vasik is the author...
  
  
• Olita Rause
• Eva Repkova
• Marina Romanko
  Marina Romanko
  Marina Romanko is a Russian chess player. She holds the titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster....
  
  
• Elena Sedina
• Almira Skripchenko
  Almira Skripchenko
  Almira Skripchenko is a French chess player who has achieved the FIDE International Master and Woman Grandmaster titles...
  
  
• Zuzana Stockova
• Elena Tairova
  Elena Tairova
  Elena Tairova was a Belaussian and Russian chess player, Woman Grandmaster and International Master.-Chess career:...
  
  
• Sachdev Tania
• Irina Turova
• Anna Ushenina
  Anna Ushenina
  Anna Ushenina is a Ukrainian chess player with the titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster .-Biography:Born in Kharkiv, she still lives there with her family...
  
  
• Szidonia Vajda
  Szidonia Vajda
  Szidonia Vajda is an Romanian-Hungarian chess Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1995 she won the European Youth Chess Championship ....
  
  
• Irina Vasilevich
• Tatjana Vasilevich
• Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi
  Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi
  Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman is a chess player of international repute from India. Vijayalakshmi is currently ranked 20th amongst women chess players in the world. She is the first Woman Grandmaster from India and is a six-time national champion.She has won more medals than any other player for India...
  
  
• Wang Yu
  Wang Yu (chess player)
  Wang Yu is a Chinese chess player who holds the IM and the WGM titles.-Chess career:In 1996, she won the World U14 Girls Championship and in 1998, won the World U16 Girls Championship....
  
  
• Elena Zaiatz
• Anna Zatonskih
  Anna Zatonskih
  Anna Zatonskih is a chess player from the United States. She is a Woman Grandmaster, as well as an International Master. She is a chess professional, who coaches players and competes in tournaments. Zatonskih is the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011 U.S. Women's Chess Champion.Zatonskih learned chess at...
  
  
• Olga Zimina
• Anna Zozulia

A

• Aginian, Nelly
  Nelly Aginian
  Nelly Aginian is an Armenian chess Woman Grandmaster .She played in the gold medal-winning Armenian Women's team in the 5th European Team Chess Championship in Plovdiv 2003. Played in the Women's Chess Olympiads of 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2008....
  
   (1981) Armenia - WGM
• Akhsharumova, Anna
  Anna Akhsharumova
  Anna Akhsharumova is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She is the wife of chess grandmaster Boris Gulko.Akhsharumova and her husband became famous in the late-1970s as Soviet Refuseniks. They were finally allowed to leave the Soviet Union and immigrate to the United States in 1986.She won the Women's...
  
   (1957) Russia, USA - WGM
• Alekhine, Grace
  Grace Alekhine
  Grace N. Alekhine , was an American–British–French female artist, chess master and the fourth and last wife of World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine....
  
   (1876–1956) USA, United Kingdom, France
• Alexandria, Nana
  Nana Alexandria
  Nana Alexandria is a Georgian chess Woman Grandmaster and International Arbiter . She was the challenger in two matches for the Women's World Chess Championship....
  
   (1949) Georgia - WGM and IM
• Andriasian, Siranush
  Siranush Andriasian
  Siranush Andriasian is an Armenian chess player. She holds the FIDE Woman International Master title.- Achievements :*1994, 1995: Won Girls Under-10 Armenian Championship;*1995: Third place in European Youth Chess Championship, Under-10;...
  
   (1986) Armenia - WIM
• Arakhamia, Ketevan (1968) Georgia - GM 2009
• Atalik, Ekaterina (1982) Russia, Turkey - WGM and IM

B

• Bain, Mary
  Mary Bain
  Mary Bain was an American chess master.She was a Women's World Chess Championship Challenger in 1937 and 1952 and the first American woman to represent the U.S...
  
   (1904–1972) USA - WIM
• Belakovskaia, Anjelina
  Anjelina Belakovskaia
  Anjelina Belakovskaia is a United States chess player who has achieved the FIDE Woman Grandmaster and International Master titles.She is a three-time U.S...
  
   (1969) Ukraine, USA - WGM
• Belavenets, Liudmila
  Liudmila Belavenets
  Liudmila Belavenets is a Russian woman International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster, the fourth ICCF Women's World Champion in correspondence chess . Moreover she is a Woman International Master in the over the board chess...
  
   (1940) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion, WIM
• Bellin, Jana
  Jana Bellin
  Jana Bellin , chess player, was awarded her WIM of chess title in 1969, and WGM title in 1982....
  
    (1947) Czech, England - WGM
• Benedict, Clare
  Clare Benedict
  Clare Benedict was an American writer and patron.Clare Benedict was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, in 1870. She was a distant relative of James Fenimore Cooper...
  
   (1871–1961) USA, Switzerland
• Benini, Clarice
  Clarice Benini
  Clarice Benini was an Italian chess master.She finished second in the Women's World Championship at Stockholm 1937, behind Vera Menchik but ahead of Sonja Graf, Milda Lauberte, Mary Bain, Mona May Karff, and others...
  
   (1905–1976) Italy - WIM
• Beskow, Katarina
  Katarina Beskow
  Katarina Beskow Froeken was a Swedish chess master.She was four-time Women's World Chess Championship Challenger. She took 2nd, behind Vera Menchik at the first Women's World Championship in London 1927, 4th at Hamburg 1930, 4th at Prague 1931, and 23rd at Stockholm 1937.-References:...
  
   (1867–1939) Sweden
• Brustman, Agnieszka
  Agnieszka Brustman
  Agnieszka Brustman is a female Polish chess master.-Biography:Brustman played on the Polish team in nine Women's Chess Olympiads...
  
   (1962) Poland - WGM
• Burtman, Sharon Ellen
  Sharon Ellen Burtman
  Sharon Ellen Burtman is an American chess player. Her titles include National Master ; Woman International Master ; New England Women's Champion ; and United States Women's Champion ....
  
   (1968) USA - WIM
• Bykova, Elisabeth
  Elisabeth Bykova
  Elisaveta Ivanovna Bykova was a Soviet chess player and the third and fifth Women's World Chess Champion, from 1953 until 1956, and again from 1958 to 1962.In 1938 she won the women's Moscow championship and after the second world war she was a...
  
   (1913–1989) Russia - Women's World Champion, WGM

C

• Caoili, Arianne
  Arianne Caoili
  Arianne Caoili is a Philippine born Australian chess player who achieved the FIDE Woman International Master title.-Chess:...
  
   (1986) Australia - WIM
• Cardoso, Ruth
  Ruth Volgl Cardoso
  Ruth Volgl Cardoso was a Brazilian chess Woman International Master.Her father was a Brazilian businessman who went to Germany to study engineering...
  
   (1934–2000) Brazil - WIM
• Carrasco, Berna
  Berna Carrasco
  Berna Carrasco Araya a Chilean chess master, born in San Bernardo, Chile. She was a Women's World Championship challenger at Buenos Aires 1939, where she took 3rd, behind Vera Menchik and Sonja Graf....
  
   (1914– ) Chile - WIM
• Chaudé de Silans, Chantal
  Chantal Chaudé de Silans
  Chantal Chaudé de Silans was a French chess player and a pioneer of women's chess.She learned how to play the game when she was nine along with her brother the Baron de Silans, who later became a strong amateur. In 1932, at age thirteen, she entered her first women's French Chess Championship...
  
   (1919–2004) France - WIM
• Chiburdanidze, Maia
  Maia Chiburdanidze
  Maia Chiburdanidze is a Georgian chess grandmaster, and the seventh Women's World Chess Champion. She is the only chess player in history who has won nine Chess Olympiads....
  
   (1961) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1984
• Corke, Anya
  Anya Corke
  Anya Sun Corke is a Woman Grandmaster and the top chess player from Hong Kong who is currently playing for England....
  
   (1990) Hong Kong - WGM
• Čmilytė, Viktorija
  Viktorija Cmilyte
  Viktorija Čmilytė is a Lithuanian chess player with the titles of Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster . She won the gold medal at the Women's European Individual Chess Championship in 2011...
  
   (1983) Lithuania - WGM and IM
• Cramling, Pia
  Pia Cramling
  Pia Cramling is a Swedish chess grandmaster. Since the early 1980s, she has been one of the strongest female players in the world....
  
   (1963) Sweden - GM 1992

D

• Dembo, Yelena
  Yelena Dembo
  Yelena Dembo is a Greek International Master of chess. On the May 2010 FIDE rating list for women, she is ranked 31st in the world, with a rating of 2470. She became a Woman Grandmaster when she was seventeen years old, and an International Master at age nineteen...
  
   (1983) Russia, Israel, Hungary, Greece - WGM and IM
• Donaldson, Elena
  Elena Donaldson
  Elena Donaldson Akhmilovskaya is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She has been one of the strongest woman players in the world...
  
   (1957) Russia, Georgia, USA - WGM
• Dzagnidze, Nana
  Nana Dzagnidze
  Nana Dzagnidze is a chess player from Georgia, who achieved the title of International Grandmaster in 2008.-Youth success:As a junior player, she showed early promise by winning the World Girls Under-12 Championship in 1999...
  
   (1987) Georgia - GM 2008

E

• Edzgveradze, Natalia
  Natalia Edzgveradze
  Natalia Edzgveradze is a Georgian chess Woman Grandmaster and FIDE Trainer , currently working in Singapore as a trainer of Intchess Asia Pte Ltd.-External links:...
  
   (1975) Georgia - WGM
• Eidelson, Rakhil
  Rakhil Eidelson
  Rakhil Eidelson is a Belarusian chess Woman Grandmaster.She won the Belarusian Women's Chess Championship eight times . She played for Belarus in the Women's Chess Olympiad in 1994, 1998, 2000, and 2004.-External links:...
  
   (1958) Belarus - WGM
• Ereńska, Hanna (1946) Poland - WGM

F

• Fagan, Louisa Matilda
  Louisa Matilda Fagan
  Louisa Matilda Fagan was an Italian–British female chess master.Miss Ballard learned to play chess as a child from her father William who married Angela De Deo in Naples in 1847. She eventually married an Irishman, J.G...
  
   (1850–1931) Italy, UK
• Miss Fatima
  Miss Fatima
  Miss Fatima was an Indian-British Indian female chess master.Miss Fatima won the British Women's Chess Championship at Hastings in 1933. Earlier, she took 12th place at London 1932 . She was a friend of maharaja Sir Umar Hayat Khan...
  
   India, United Kingdom
• Fierro, Martha
  Martha Fierro
  Martha Lorena Fierro Baquero is a chess player. She holds the FIDE player titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster and the FIDE training title of FIDE Trainer, acquired after successful examination at the FIDE Seminar for Coaches in Vung Tau on 29.10.2008. She has represented Ecuador...
  
   (1977) Ecuador - WGM and IM
• Forbes, Cathy (1968) England - WIM

G

• Galliamova, Alisa
  Alisa Galliamova
  Alisa Galliamova is a Russian chess player, who was born to Russian father and Tatar mother. She holds the FIDE titles Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1988 she won the World Junior Girls Chess Championship...
  
   (1972) Russia - WGM and IM
• Gaprindashvili, Nona
  Nona Gaprindashvili
  Nona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....
  
   (1941) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1978
• Gara, Anita
  Anita Gara
  Anita Gara is a Hungarian chess woman grandmaster and three time Hungarian Chess Championship winner....
  
   (1983) Hungary - WGM and IM
• Gara, Ticia
  Ticia Gara
  Ticia Gara is a Hungarian chess woman grandmaster. In 2009 and 2011 she won the Hungarian Women Chess Championship.-External Links:**...
  
   (1984) Hungary - WGM
• Gerlecka, Regina
  Regina Gerlecka
  Regina Gerlecka was a Polish chess master.In January 1935, she won Warsaw championships. In June 1935, she won the 1st Polish Women Championship in Warsaw. In August 1935, she took 2nd, behind Vera Menchik, in the 5th Women's World Chess Championship in Warsaw.She tied for 5-7th in women's...
  
   (1913–1983) Poland
• Gilbert, Ellen
  Ellen Gilbert
  Ellen E. Gilbert was a strong 19th century correspondence chess player, and one of the first significant women players in chess history. She became famous for her match victory against George H. D. Gossip...
  
   (1837–1900) USA
• Gilchrist, Mary
  Mary Gilchrist
  Mary Dinorah Gilchrist was a Scottish female chess player.She won twice British Chess Championship in 1929 and 1934. She took third place at Folkestone 1933 Mary Dinorah Gilchrist (c. 1882 - January 14, 1947, Edinburgh) was a Scottish female chess player.She won twice British Chess Championship in...
  
   Scotland
• Golubenko, Valentina
  Valentina Golubenko
  Valentina Golubenko is a chess Woman Grandmaster and Girls' World U-18 Champion of 2008. Golubenko is the first and only World youth chess champion born in Estonia thus far. Although a resident of Estonia, Golubenko plays under the Croatian flag as she is not qualified to represent Estonia owing...
  
   (1990) Estonia, Croatia - WGM
• Graf, Sonja
  Sonja Graf
  Sonja Graf was a German chess master who also lived in Argentina and the United States. She was the Women's World Sub-Champion, two-time winner of the U.S...
  
   (1914–1965) Germany, Argentina, USA - WIM
• Gresser, Gisela
  Gisela Kahn Gresser
  Gisela Kahn Gresser was one of the first two female chess players in the United States, and one of the first seventeen players in the world, to be awarded the title of Woman International Master in 1950 when FIDE created official titles. She was also the first American woman to be inducted into...
  
   (1906–2000) USA - WIM
• Guggenberger, Ilse
  Ilse Guggenberger
  Ilse D. Guggenberger is a Colombian chess master.She was the Colombian Women's Champion in 1965, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1984....
  
   (1942) Colombia - WIM
• Gunina, Valentina
  Valentina Gunina
  Valentina Gunina is a Russian chess player with the titles International Master and Woman Grandmaster . In 2006 and 2008 she won Qualifying Russian Women Chess Championship and 2011 Superfinal Russian Women Chess Championship....
  
   (1989) Russia - WGM and IM

H

• Hamid, Rani
  Rani Hamid
  Rani Hamid is a chess player from Bangladesh. Hamid was born Sayeda Jasimunnessa Khatun in Sylhet, Bangladesh. She was awarded the FIDE Woman International Master title in 1985...
  
   (1944) Bangladesh - WIM
• Harika, Dronavalli
  Dronavalli Harika
  Dronavalli Harika is an Indian chess player. She was born on January 12, 1991 in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, and learned to play chess at age 7. She holds the titles of Grandmaster, Woman Grandmaster and International Master....
  
   (1991) India - WGM and IM
• Harum, Gisela
  Gisela Harum
  Gisela Harum was an Austrian chess master.She played four times in the Women's World Championship. She took 7th at London 1927 , 8th at Folkestone 1933 , 3rd at Warsaw 1935, and tied for 17-20th at Stockholm 1937 .-References:...
  
   Austria
• Heemskerk, Fenny
  Fenny Heemskerk
  Fenny Heemskerk was a Dutch female chess master.She won the female Dutch Chess Championship ten times...
  
   (1919–2007) The Netherlands - WGM
• Herman, Róża
  Róza Herman
  Róża Maria Herman was a Polish chess master.In June 1935, she took 4th at the 1st Polish Championship in Warsaw . In August 1935, she tied for 6-7th at the 5th Women's World Chess Championship in Warsaw .She took 11th at the women's super tournament in Semmering 1936...
  
   (1902–1995) Poland - WIM
• Hoang, Thanh Trang
  Hoang Thanh Trang
  Hoang Thanh Trang is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster.Her current FIDE Elo rating is 2487.Hoang was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, and was ten years old when her family moved to Budapest....
  
   (1980) Vietnam, Hungary - GM 2007
• Holloway, Edith
  Edith Holloway
  Edith Martha Holloway was one of the brightest names in British women's chess. She was the daughter of sculptor John Denton Crittenden , who exhibited at the Royal Academy....
  
   (1868–1956) England - WIM
• Hołuj-Radzikowska, Krystyna (1931–2006) Poland - WGM
• Hou Yifan
  Hou Yifan
  Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess prodigy. She is the reigning Women's World Chess Champion, the youngest ever to win the title, as well as the youngest female player ever to qualify for the title of Grandmaster.At the age of 12, Hou became the youngest player ever to participate in the FIDE Women's...
  
   (1994) People's Republic of China - GM 2008
• Houska, Jovanka
  Jovanka Houska
  Jovanka Houska is an English chess player with the titles International Master and Woman Grandmaster .-Formative years:...
  
   (1980) England - WGM and IM
• Hunt, Harriet
  Harriet Hunt
  Harriet Vaughan Hunt is an English chess player and four times British Ladies' champion.-Biography:A high profile player from an early age, she won five British Junior Girls titles between 1989 and 1991...
  
   (1978) England - WGM and IM

K

• Kądziołka, Beata (1986) Poland - WGM
• Karff, Mona
  Mona May Karff
  Mona May Karff was an American competitive chess player. Karff dominated U.S. women's chess in the 1940s and early 1950s and had an extended career. She held seven U.S. Women's Chess Champion titles and four consecutive U.S. Open titles.She was born Mona May Ratner in Bessarabia, a province in...
  
   (1914–1998) Bessarabia (Moldova), Palestine, USA - WIM
• Keller-Hermann, Edith (1921) Germany - WGM
• Khoudgarian, Natalia
  Natalia Khoudgarian
  Natalia Khoudgarian is an Armenian chess player, who is one of the top female chess players in Canada.She holds the FIDE Woman International Master title. She represented Canada at the Women's World Championship 2006 and twice at the Women's Olympiads .On the November 2011 FIDE list her Elo rating...
  
   (1975) Russia, Canada - WIM
• Khurtsidze, Nino
  Nino Khurtsidze
  Nino Khurtsidze is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She resides in Tbilisi, Georgia. In 2005 she was the number two rated woman chess player in Georgia with a FIDE rating of 2420. She won the World Junior Girls Chess Championship in 1993 and 1995.In 2004 she came second behind Evgeny Shaposhnikov in...
  
   (1975) Georgia - WGM and IM
• Klovāne, Astra
  Astra Klovāne
  Astra Klovāne is a former Latvian chess player. Astra Klovāne won the Latvian Chess Championship for women seven times - 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1977, and 1978. She won also the Latvian women speed championship in 1977, 1978, and 1981.She learned to play chess at the age of 11...
  
   (1944) Latvia
• Konarkowska-Sokolov, Henrijeta
  Henrijeta Konarkowska-Sokolov
  Henryka Konarkowska-Sokolov a Polish–Serbian chess master.She was four times Women's Polish Champion and two times Women's Yugoslav Champion ....
  
   (1938) Poland, Serbia - WGM
• Koneru, Humpy
  Koneru Humpy
  Humpy Koneru is an Indian chess Grandmaster. Her January 2010 FIDE Elo rating is 2614, placing her number two in the world for women . In 2007 she surpassed the rating of 2577 set by Susan Polgar to become the second-highest ranked female player in history...
  
   (1987) India - GM 2002
• Kosintseva, Nadezhda
  Nadezhda Kosintseva
  Nadezhda Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player. She holds the title of Grandmaster....
  
   (1985) Russia - WGM and IM
• Kosintseva, Tatiana
  Tatiana Kosintseva
  Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player who has achieved the FIDE title of Grandmaster...
  
   (1986) Russia - WGM and IM
• Kosteniuk, Alexandra
  Alexandra Kosteniuk
  Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk is a Russian chess Grandmaster and a former Women's World Chess Champion.-Chess career:Kosteniuk learned to play chess at the age of five after being taught by her father...
  
   (1984) Russia - Women's World Champion, GM 2004
• Kostiuk, Tatiana
  Tatiana Kostiuk
  Tatiana Kostiuk is a Ukrainian chess player who has earned the Woman Grandmaster title.- Biography :Born in Chernigov, Ukraine, Tatiana studied Management in hotel, resort and tourism at the National Municipal Academy in Kharkov, where she gained a Masters degree in 2006.- Chess career :Kostiuk...
  
   (1982) Ukraine - WGM
• Kozlovskaya, Valentina
  Valentina Kozlovskaya
  Valentina Kozlovskaya is a Russian chess Woman Grandmaster , and the 1996 Senior Women's World Chess Champion.She won the Women's Soviet Chess Championship in 1965. She came 2nd in the 1967 Women's Candidates Tournament. In the same year she placed 2nd to Nona Gaprindashvili in a women's...
  
   (1938) Russia - WGM
• Kristol, Ljuba
  Ljuba Kristol
  Ljuba Danielovna Kristol is a Russian-born Israeli International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster and Woman International Master.She is best known for winning the ICCF Women's World Championship in correspondence chess on two occasions: between 1978 and 1984, and between 1993 and 1998.She grew up...
  
   (1944) Russia, Israel - ICCF Women's World Champion
• Krush, Irina
  Irina Krush
  Irina Krush is an American chess player who won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in 1998, 2007, and 2010. Born in Odessa, USSR , she is widely known for her series of chess training videos, the "Krushing Attacks" series.Krush learned to play chess at age five, emigrating with her parents to...
  
   (1983) Ukraine, USA - WGM and IM
• Kushnir, Alla
  Alla Kushnir
  Alla Shulimovna Kushnir is a Russian–born Israeli chess Woman Grandmaster.Kushnir was thrice Women's World Chess Championship Challenger. She lost matches for the title to Nona Gaprindashvili:* +3 –7 =3 at Riga 1965;* +2 –6 =5 at Tbilisi–Moscow 1969;...
  
   (1941) Russia, Israel - WGM

L

• Lahno, Kateryna (1989) Ukraine - GM 2007
• Lane, Lisa
  Lisa Lane
  Marianne Elizabeth Lane Hickey is an American former chess player. Her combination of good looks and chess-playing ability made her an international celebrity, even though she never achieved the title of chess master...
  
   (1938) USA - WIM
• Larsen, Ingrid
  Ingrid Larsen
  Ingrid Larsen was a Danish diver who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.She was born in Rudkøbing....
  
   (1909-?) Denmark - WIM
• Lauberte, Milda
  Milda Lauberte
  Milda Lauberte was a Latvian chess master.She played in two Women's World Championship tournaments, sharing third place with Sonja Graf, behind Vera Menchik and Clarice Benini at Stockholm 1937, and taking sixth place at Buenos Aires 1939 .-References:...
  
   (1918) Latvia - WIM
• Lazarević, Milunka
  Milunka Lazarevic
  Milunka Lazarević is a Serbian chess player and journalist. For many years, she was Yugoslavia's foremost woman player and became a contender for the Women's World Chess Championship.She was taught chess by her father at the age of fourteen and quickly became recognised as a talent in the game...
  
   (1932) Serbia - WGM
• Levitina, Irina
  Irina Levitina
  Irina Solomonovna Levitina is a Russian-American chess and bridge player. In chess, she has been a World Championship Candidate and gained the title Woman Grandmaster. In contract bridge she has been five times the World Champion.-Chess career:In 1973, she tied for 2nd-5th in Menorca...
  
   (1954) Russia, USA - WGM
• Litinskaya-Shul, Marta
  Marta Litinskaya-Shul
  Marta Litynska is a Ukrainian chess master.Born Marta Shul, she was Soviet Women’s Champion in 1972, and Sub-Champion in 1971, 1973, and 1974. She played in 2nd Interzonal Tournament at Menorca 1973 where tied for 2nd–5th places...
  
   (1949) Ukraine - WGM

M

• Mádl, Ildikó
  Ildiko Madl
  Ildikó Mádl is a Hungarian chess player.Madl learned to play chess from her father. In 1978 she became a pupil of the chess school Mereszjev that helped to promote talented Hungarian children and teenagers....
  
   (1969) Hungary - WGM and IM
• Majdan, Joanna
  Joanna Majdan
  Joanna Majdan-Gajewska is a Polish chess player with the title of Woman Grandmaster . She was a member of the national team at the Turin Chess Olympiad, where she scored 6 points from 9 games...
  
   (1988) Poland - WGM
• Marić, Alisa
  Alisa Maric
  Alisa Marić is a Serbian chess player, who holds the FIDE titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She is living in Belgrade, capital of Serbia . She has dual citizenship, Serbian and American...
  
   (1970) USA, Serbia - WGM and IM
• Marić, Mirjana
  Mirjana Maric
  Mirjana Marić is a Serbian chess player, who holds the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster , living in Belgrade, capital of Serbia . She has dual Serbian and US citizenship.Mirjana Marić was introduced to chess at the age of four, together with her 20-minutes-older twin sister Alisa Marić...
  
   (1970) Serbia - WGM
• Marinello, Beatriz
  Beatriz Marinello
  Beatriz Marinello is a Woman International Master chess player from the United States. She was president of the United States Chess Federation from 2003 to 2005 and a member of the executive board from 2003 to 2007.-Life:...
  
   (1964) Chile - WIM
• Matveeva, Svetlana
  Svetlana Matveeva
  Svetlana Matveeva is a chess player from Russia. She is a Woman Grandmaster and an International master.In 1984, she tied for first with Anna Akhsharumova in the Women's Soviet Chess Championship...
  
   (1969) Russia - WGM and IM
• Menchik, Olga
  Olga Menchik
  Olga Menchik Rubery was a Czech–British female chess master.Born in Moscow into a Czech – British family, she was younger sister to Vera Menchik. They all moved to England in 1921...
  
   (1908–1944) Czechia, England
• Menchik, Vera
  Vera Menchik
  Vera Menchik was a British-Czech chess player who gained renown as the world's first women's chess champion. She also competed in chess tournaments with some of the world's leading male chess masters, defeating many of them, including future World Champion Max Euwe.The daughter of a Czech father...
  
   (1906–1944) Czechia, England - Women's World Champion
• Michell, Edith
  Edith Michell
  Edith Mary Ann Michell was an English female chess master.At the beginning of her career, she twice won Redhill Chess Club championships in 1906 and 1909...
  
   (1872–1951) England
• Milliet, Sophie
  Sophie Milliet
  Sophie Milliet is a French chess player and the current national women's champion.She was raised in the French town of Castelnau-le-Lez and learned to play chess at the age of four. Her endeavours at junior level showed good promise and catapulted her Elo rating over the 2100 mark by the time she...
  
   (1983) France - WGM and IM
• Mišanović, Vesna
  Vesna Mišanovic
  Vesna Misanović is a Bosnian chess player who holds the FIDE Woman Grandmaster title.She was winner of the first ever medal for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the European Team Championship in Debrecin 1992. It was an individual silver medal for best rating performance and result at first board...
  
   (1964) Bosnia and Herzegovina - WGM
• Mkrtchian, Lilit
  Lilit Mkrtchian
  Lilit Mkrtchian is an Armenian grandmaster and four-times Armenian Women's champion.Mkrtchian won the silver medal in the European Individual Chess Championship in Varna, Bulgaria, scoring 8.5/11 points. She participated in the European Team Chess Championship 2003 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, helping...
  
   (1982) Armenia - WGM and IM
• Mora, Maria Teresa
  María Teresa Mora
  María Teresa Mora Iturralde was a Cuban chess master.She is the only person who received direct lessons from José Raúl Capablanca. Mora was the first woman to win the Cuban Championship ....
  
   (1902–1980) Cuba - WIM
• Mutesi, Phiona
  Phiona Mutesi
  Phiona Mutesi is a Ugandan chess player. She is not certain when she was born, although FIDE has estimated it to be 1993. She grew up in the Ugandan slum of Katwe, where as of 2011 fifty percent of teen girls are mothers; when Phiona was about three her father died of AIDS and shortly after her...
  
   (1993) Uganda
• Muzychuk, Anna
  Anna Muzychuk
  Anna Olegivna Muzychuk is a chess player with a FIDE rating of 2528 . She earned the title of Woman Grandmaster in 2004 and the title of International Master in 2007. In 2004 she became a member of the Slovenian chess federation, where she is the strongest female chess player...
  
   (1990) Ukraine, Slovenia - WGM and IM

P

• Pähtz, Elisabeth
  Elisabeth Pähtz
  Elisabeth Pähtz is a German chess Woman Grandmaster.She was trained from early childhood by her father Thomas Pähtz, a chess grandmaster himself. At the age of 9 years she won her first German championship in the under-11 age group. In 1999 she became Germany's women's chess champion...
  
   (1985) Germany - WGM and IM
• Paridar, Shadi
  Shadi Paridar
  Shadi Paridar is an Iranian chess Woman Grandmaster. Played for Iran in the Women's Asian Team Chess Championships of 1995, 2003, 2005 and 2008.-External links:* at Chessgames.com*...
  
   (1986) Iran - WGM
• Peng, Zhaoqin
  Peng Zhaoqin
  Peng Zhaoqin is a female Chinese chess player, who has resided in the Netherlands since 1996...
  
   (1968) People's Republic of China, Netherlands - GM 2004
• Soňa Pertlová
  Soňa Pertlová
  Soňa Pertlová was a Czech chess player.Pertlová was Czech U12 girl champion in 2000, U16 champion in 2002 and U20 champion in 2007. She finished second in Czech U18 championship in 2006...
  
   (1988–2011) Czech Republic - WIM
• Piatigorsky, Jacqueline
  Jacqueline Piatigorsky
  Jacqueline Rebecca Louise de Rothschild is a French-American chess and tennis champion, author, sculptor and a member of the Rothschild banking family of France. The daughter of the enormously wealthy and influential banker, Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild, and Germaine Alice Halphen, she is the...
  
   (1911) France, USA
• Pogonina, Natalia
  Natalia Pogonina
  Natalia Andreevna Pogonina is a Russian chess Woman Grandmaster and member of the Russian Olympic chess team.- Chess career :...
  
   (1985) Russia - WGM
• Polgár, Judit
  Judit Polgár
  Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...
  
   (1976) Hungary - GM 1991
• Polgár, Sófia
  Zsófia Polgár
  Sofia Polgar Sofia Polgar Sofia Polgar (born November 2, 1974 as Polgár Zsófia is a Hungarian-born International Master of chess and former chess prodigy. She is an International Master and Woman Grandmaster, and is the middle sister of Grandmasters Susan and Judit Polgár. Since 2006, she has...
  
   (1974) Hungary, Israel - WGM and IM
• Polgar, Susan
  Susan Polgar
  Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-American chess Grandmaster...
  
   (1969) Hungary, USA - Women's World champion, GM 1991
• Pourkashiyan, Atousa
  Atousa Pourkashiyan
  Atousa Pourkashiyan is an Iranian chess Woman Grandmaster. She played for Iran in the Women's Asian Team Chess Championships of 2003, 2005 and 2008. In April 2010 she won Women's Asian Chess Championship in Subic Bay....
  
   (1988) Iran - WGM
• Price, Edith Charlotte
  Edith Charlotte Price
  Edith Charlotte Price was an English female chess master.She enjoyed great success at the British Women's Chess Championship, winning it five times . She first played the event in 1912, finishing second and almost took the title in 1920 and 1921, when she narrowly missed out in the play-offs,...
  
   (1872–1956) England
• Ptáčníková, Lenka
  Lenka Ptácníková
  Lenka Ptáčníková or Lenka Ptacnikova, is an Icelandic chess Woman Grandmaster of Czech origin. She won the Nordic championship in Finland in 2005.-External links:...
  
   (1976) Iceland - WGM

R

• Rajlich, Iweta
  Iweta Rajlich
  Iweta Rajlich is a Polish chess International Master and Woman Grandmaster, multiple winner of Women Chess Championships of Poland. As of April 2009, she is the 54th ranked female chess player in the world with an Elo rating of 2424.She married Vasik Rajlich on 19 August 2006. Vasik is the author...
  
   (1981) Poland - WGM and IM
• Reischer, Salome
  Salome Reischer
  Salome Reischer was an Austrian female chess master.In 1937, she tied for 17-20th at the 6th Women's World Chess Championship in Stockholm . After Anschluss, she moved initially to Palestine and then, via Argentina to the United States.In 1939, she tied for 14-16th in the 7th WWCC at Buenos Aires...
  
   (1899–1980) Austria - WIM
• Reizniece-Ozola, Dana
  Dana Reizniece-Ozola
  Dana Reizniece-Ozola is a Latvian chess player who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster .-Chess player career:...
  
   (1981) Latvia - WGM
• Richards, Heather (1983) England - WIM
• Riegler, Alessandra
  Alessandra Riegler
  Alessandra Riegler is an Italian International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster.She was the sixth ICCF Women's World Champion, a title she held from 2000-2005.She won four times Italian Chess Championship ....
  
   (1961) Italy - ICCF Women's World Champion
• Rinder, Friedl (1905–2001) Germany - WIM
• Rogule, Laura
  Laura Rogule
  Laura Rogule is a Latvian chess player who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster. She won the Latvian Chess Championship for women in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2002 she won the World Girls Under-14 Championship...
  
   (1988) Latvia - WGM
• Roodzant, Catharina
  Catharina Roodzant
  Catharina Roodzant was a Dutch female chess master.She won thrice the female Dutch Chess Championship...
  
   (1896–1999) The Netherlands
• Roos, Nancy
  Nancy Roos
  Nancy Roos was a U.S. chess champion.Born Nancy Krotoschin in Belgium, she married Martin Roos.Before coming to America she was active at the Cercle l'Echiquier in Brussels.Roos won the U.S...
  
   (1905–1957) United States
• Rootare, Salme
  Salme Rootare
  Salme Rootare was an Estonian chess master.She was fifteen times Estonian Champion ....
  
   (1913–1987) Estonia - WIM
• Ross, Laura
  Laura Ross
  Laura Ross is an American chess player. She holds the title of Woman FIDE Master. , her FIDE rating is 2217.In 1998 she finished eighth in the World Championship Girls Under 10....
  
   (1988) United States - WFM
• Rubene, Ilze
  Ilze Rubene
  Ilze Rubene is a Latvian chess player who holds the title of Woman International Master. She won the Latvian Chess Championship for women in 1976 and 1995...
  
   (1958-2002) - WIM
• Rubtsova, Olga
  Olga Rubtsova
  Olga Nikolaevna Rubtsova was a Soviet chess player and fourth Women's World Chess Champion.She won the Soviet Women's Championship four times , and was second in the 1950 World Championship, a point behind Lyudmila Rudenko...
  
   (1909–1992) Russia - Women's World Champion and IFCC Women's World Champion, WGM
• Rudenko, Lyudmila
  Lyudmila Rudenko
  Lyudmila Vladimirovna Rudenko was a Soviet chess player and the second Women's World Chess Champion from 1950 until 1953.She was awarded the FIDE International Master and Woman International Master titles in 1950, and the Woman Grandmaster title in 1976...
  
   (1904–1986) Ukraine, Russia - Women's World Champion, WGM
• Rudge, Mary
  Mary Rudge
  Mary Rudge was an English female chess master.-Early life:Born in Leominster, a small town in Herefordshire, England, she began playing chess in a correspondence tournament in 1872...
  
   (1842–1919) England

S

• Šafranska, Anda
  Anda Šafranska
  Anda Šafranska is a Latvian born chess player who holds the title of Grandmaster. Anda Šafranska for many years was one of the best women's chess player in Latvia...
  
   (1960) Latvia - WGM
• Schwartzmann, Paulette
  Paulette Schwartzmann
  Paulette Schwartzmann was a Latvian–French–Argentine chess player.Born in Riga, she emigrated to France. She won seven times French Chess Championship , although she was awarded the title only thrice. She became French citizen in 1933.She played twice in Women's World Chess Championship...
  
   (1910–19??) Latvia, France, Argentina
• Schneider, Veronika
  Veronika Schneider
  Veronika Schneider is a Hungarian chess woman grandmaster. In 2011 she shared first position with Anna Rudolf and Ticia Gara in the Hungarian Women Chess Championship.-External Links:**...
  
   (1987) Hungary - WGM
• Sebag, Marie
  Marie Sebag
  Marie Sebag is a French chess player, who won the French Chess Championship for women in 2000 and 2002.-Tournament results:...
  
   (1986) France - GM 2008
• Semenova, Lidia
  Lidia Semenova
  Lidia K Semenova is a Ukrainian chess Woman Grandmaster.In 1978, she won Women's Soviet Chess Championship. In 1981, she tied for 1st-4th in Leningrad . In 1982, she took 2nd in Bad Kissingen...
  
   (1951) Ukraine - WGM
• Shahade, Jennifer
  Jennifer Shahade
  Jennifer Shahade is an American chess player and writer. She is a two-time American women's chess champion and, as of October 2007, has a FIDE rating of 2322. She has the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster. Jennifer is the author of the book Chess Bitch...
  
   (1980) USA - WGM
• Sheldon, Ruth (1980) England - WIM
• Skripchenko, Almira
  Almira Skripchenko
  Almira Skripchenko is a French chess player who has achieved the FIDE International Master and Woman Grandmaster titles...
  
   (1976) Moldova, France - WGM and IM
• Soćko, Monika
  Monika Socko
  Monika Soćko is a Polish chess player. She won the Polish women's chess championship four times . She is married to Polish GM Bartosz Soćko....
  
   (1978) Poland - GM 2008
• Srebrnič, Ana
  Ana Srebrnic
  Ana Srebrnič is a Slovene chess player, Woman Grandmaster.She was Slovenian woman champion in 2008, second in 2004, third place in 2005...
  
   (1984) Slovenia - WGM
• Starr, Nava
  Nava Starr
  Nava Starr is one of the top female chess players in Canada. She is an eight-time Canadian Ladies' champion, and a Women's International Master...
  
   (1949) Latvia, Canada - WIM
• Stefanova, Antoaneta
  Antoaneta Stefanova
  Antoaneta Stefanova is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster, and a former Women's World Chess Champion. She became the twelfth holder of that title in 2004 in a 64-player knockout tournament held in Elista, Kalmykia under the auspices of FIDE....
  
   (1979) Bulgaria - Women's World Champion, GM 2003
• Stevenson, Agnes
  Agnes Stevenson
  Agnes Lawson-Stevenson was a British chess master. She was four-time British Ladies' Champion , and married to Rufus Stevenson, editor of the British Chess Magazine....
  
   (18??–1935) England
• Stock, Lara
  Lara Stock
  Lara Stock is a Croatian chess player who has achieved the FIDE Woman Grandmaster title.She lives in Freiburg. Her mother is Croatian, her father is German....
  
   (1992) Germany, Croatia WGM
• Sukhareva, Olga
  Olga Sukhareva
  Olga Mikhailovna Sukhareva is a Russian woman International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster. She is most famous being the 7th ICCF Women's World Champion in 2002-2006.- References :...
  
   (1984) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion

T

• Tonini, Alice
  Alice Tonini
  Alice Tonini was an Italian female chess master.She was an Italian citizen who lived in France. Tonini won three times French Chess Championship in Paris in 1932, 1933, and 1934...
  
   Italy
• Tranmer, Eileen (1910–1983) England - WIM
• Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg
  Batchimeg Tuvshintugs
  Batchimeg Tuvshintugs is a chess Woman Grandmaster and FIDE Arbiter. She now lives in Oakland, California.- 2006 U.S. Championship :Batchimeg scored several upsets in the 2006 U.S...
  
   (1986) Mongolia - WGM

V

• Vajda, Szidonia
  Szidonia Vajda
  Szidonia Vajda is an Romanian-Hungarian chess Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1995 she won the European Youth Chess Championship ....
  
   (1979) Hungary - WGM and IM
• Verőci, Zsuzsa (1949) Hungary - WGM
• Volpert, Larisa
  Larisa Volpert
  Larisa Ilinichna Volpert is a Russian chess Woman Grandmaster. She was three times Soviet women's chess champion ....
  
   (1926) Russia - WGM
• Vozovic, Oksana
  Oksana Vozovic
  Oksana Vozovic is a Ukrainian chess Woman Grandmaster and kickboxer.In 2003, she finished 3rd behind Alexander Zubov and Yuriy Kuzubov in Mykolaiv. She tied for 1st-2nd with Tatiana Kostiuk in the Rector Cup 2005 and tied for 1st-2nd with Evgeniya Doluhanova in the Femida 2005 tournament in Kharkiv...
  
   (1985) Ukraine - WGM

X

• Xie Jun
  Xie Jun
  Xie Jun is a chess grandmaster from China. She had two reigns as Women's World Chess Champion, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001. Xie is only the second woman to have two reigns, the other being Elisabeth Bykova....
  
   (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
• Yuanling Yuan (1994) China - WIM

Z

• Zatonskih, Anna
  Anna Zatonskih
  Anna Zatonskih is a chess player from the United States. She is a Woman Grandmaster, as well as an International Master. She is a chess professional, who coaches players and competes in tournaments. Zatonskih is the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011 U.S. Women's Chess Champion.Zatonskih learned chess at...
  
   (1978) Ukraine, USA - WGM and IM
• Zatulovskaya, Tatiana
  Tatiana Zatulovskaya
  Tatiana Yakovlevna Zatulovskaya is a Soviet, Russian, and Israeli chess player, Woman Grandmaster, and the 1993 Senior Women's World Chess Champion...
  
   (1935) Azerbaijan, Russia, Israel - WGM
• Zhao Xue
  Zhao Xue
  Zhao Xue is a Chinese chess player who holds the Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster titles. In 2008, she became China's 24th Grandmaster.-Career:...
  
   (1985) People's Republic of China - GM 2008
• Zhu Chen
  Zhu Chen
  Zhu Chen is a chess Grandmaster. In 2001, she became China's second women's world chess champion after Xie Jun, and China's 13th Grandmaster.She today plays for Qatar.-Biography:...
  
   (1976) People's Republic of China, Qatar - Women's World champion, GM 2001
• Zhukova, Natalia
  Natalia Zhukova
  Natalia Zhukova is a Ukrainian Grandmaster of chess. She won several age-group titles as a teenager, both at the European and World levels. She has also triumphed in several international women's tournaments...
  
   (1979) Ukraine - WGM
• Zvorykina, Kira
  Kira Zvorykina
  Kira Alekseyevna Zvorykina is a former Soviet chess player who spent many years living in Belarus. She is a three-time winner of the Women's Soviet Championship.-Formative years:...
  
   (1920) Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria - WGM

See also

• Women's World Chess Championship
  Women's World Chess Championship
  The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....
  
  
• U.S. Women's Chess Championship
  U.S. Women's Chess Championship
  The U.S. Women's Chess Championship tournament is to determine the woman chess champion of the United States.-List of U.S. Women's Chess Champions:*1937 Adele Rivero*1938 Mona May Karff*1940 Adele Rivero*1941 Mona May Karff*1942 Mona May Karff...
  
  
• :Category:Chess woman grandmasters

External links

• Women's top ratings on FIDE.com