الوصف
For over a century, chess was considered a man’s game.
Fischer said women were “terrible.” Kasparov claimed chess “didn’t fit women properly.” And Nigel Short blamed biology.
But history tells a different story.
From Vera Menchik, who defeated future World Champions in the 1930s,
to Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidze, who broke through the Grandmaster barrier,
to Judit Polgár, who beat the best — Kasparov, Anand, Topalov — and became World No. 8, the only woman ever to reach the Top 10.
These women didn’t just play chess.
They rewrote its history.
✨ Watch the full story in Episode 7 of The World Chess Show https://youtu.be/CD_h4K5bJYo
Media Attribution
This video includes images licensed under various Creative Commons licenses. All content has been used in accordance with the terms of those licenses.
Attribution has been provided as follows:
Photos
Judit_Polgár_stev_bonhage/FIDE
Nigel David Short, by GibChess, extracted from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAFOEZZEeLM, CC BY 3.0
Vera Menchik 1933, sourced from chesshistory.com
Nona Gaprindashvili 1968, by Jack de Nijs for Anefo
Maia Chiburdanidze 1984, sourced from europechess.com
“Menchik Mate” from Menchik-Thomas chess game, London 1932 Sat, Jan 30, 1988 – 62 · The Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) - sourced from newspapers.com
(https://blog.newspapers.com/vera-menchik-womens-chess-champion/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Players and Officials During an Excursion on the Steamship, Hamburg 1930, collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame
(https://worldchesshof.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Players-and-Officials-During-an-Excursion-on-the-Steamship-Deutschland-Hamburg-Germany-CROPPED-1024x650.jpg)
Vera Menchik 1927, Tanner 2016, p. 11 (republished from Chess Review June 1969, which republished after the earliest known publication in The Baltimore Sun in September 1927, original photo from after the first Women's World Championship in July 1927)
(https://worldchesshof.org/inductee/vera-menchik/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Max Euwe 1979, by Hans van Dijk for Anefo
(https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Euwe)
Samuel Reshevsky 1964, by Jack de Nijs for Anefo
(https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9,_%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%8D%D0%BB%D1%8C#/media/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Samuel_Reshevsky_1964.jpg
)
Illustration from Die Schachspieler und ihre Welt by Arpad Bauer (Berlin, 1911)
(https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/women.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
https://en.chessbase.com/post/judit-polgar-appears-in-playboy-magazine/8806 - for this we need to contact chessbase.com
Judit Polgar vs Veselin Topalov, by FIDE (Casto Abundo), Word Chess ChampionshipPress, sourced from chessbase.com
Judit Polgar, by Gennadiy Titkov CC BY-SA 3.0
Judit, Zsuzsa, Zsófia és édesapjuk, Polgár László, by Fortepan adományozó URBÁN TAMÁS CC BY-SA 3.0
Susan Polgar by Vollebregt, Sjakkelien / Anefo
Une séance de parties simultanées de Garry Kasparov, by S.M.S.I., Inc. - Owen Williams, The Kasparov Agence CC BY-SA 3.0
Garry Kasparov by S.M.S.I., Inc. - Owen Williams, The Kasparov Agence CC BY-SA 3.0
Garry Kasparov by S.M.S.I., Inc. - Owen Williams, The Kasparov Agence CC BY-SA 3.0
Portrait de Garry Kasparov by S.M.S.I., Inc. - Owen Williams, The Kasparov Agence CC BY-SA 3.0
Garry Kasparov by S.M.S.I., Inc. - Owen Williams, The Kasparov Agence CC BY-SA 3.0
Judit Polgar plays simultaneous chess games in an informal public exhibition in Central Park, New York City, New York by R. Cottrell CC BY-SA 3.0
Videos
Video excerpt courtesy of chess24.com,”Hou Yifan analysis her game against Yu Yangyi - Gibraltar Chess Festival 2015” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL5-6-PGqEI
Video excerpt courtesy of WorldQuant,”Chess & Conversation with Yifan Hou” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0H7btBCV2c
Video excerpt courtesy of 64 Squares,”Kasparov thought women could not play chess.” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjbfUpx4iGk
Video excerpt courtesy of 4 the Win,”Judit Polgar vs Veselin Topalov 2005 FIDE World Championship Tournament” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbOafRc6Xsk
Video excerpt courtesy of PVS,”Judit Polgar vs World Champion Anand in Leon 2000” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyl1BW25bvI
Video excerpt courtesy of CNN,”Kasparov & Judit Polagr CNN Interview” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLPwAr9xiX8
Video excerpt courtesy of France Télévisions,”Judit Polgar - l'Europe s'élargit 2004 (Fra)” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQ-qZeT11s
Video excerpt courtesy of Judit Polgar,”Global Chess Festival 2015” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CDttrxWYvQ
Video excerpt courtesy of BBC News,”The 'Queen of Chess' who defeated Kasparov - BBC News” retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DgosX9_T2U