From the Middle Ages through the 18th century, 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". 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 later 20th 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 35 female players who hold the Grandmaster title:
There is also a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title, but the requirements for achieving it are significantly lower. Still, chess has not regained its former social status among women. As of 2015, 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 as of 2015 the top 16 women hold the Grandmaster title. In September 2005, Susan Polgar's younger sister GM Judit Polgár 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.
As of 2017, 102 women hold the International Master title:
Aginian, Nelly (1981) Armenia - WGM
Akhsharumova, Anna (1957) Russia, USA - WGM
Alekhine, Grace (1876–1956) USA, United Kingdom, France
Alexandria, Nana (1949) Georgia - WGM
Andriasian, Siranush (1986) Armenia - WIM
Arakhamia, Ketevan (1968) Georgia, Scotland - GM
Atalik, Ekaterina (1982) Russia, Turkey - WGM and IM
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
Berezina, Irina (1965) Australia - IM
Beskow, Katarina (1867–1939) Sweden
Botsari, Anna-Maria (1972) Greece - WGM
Brustman, Agnieszka (1962) Poland - WGM
Burtman, Sharon Ellen (1968) USA - WIM
Bykova, Elisabeth (1913–1989) Russia - Women's World Champion, WGM
Caoili, Arianne (1986) Australia - WIM
Cardoso, Ruth (1934–2000) Brazil - WIM
Carrasco, Berna (1914–2013) Chile - WIM
Chaudé de Silans, Chantal (1919–2004) France - WIM
Chiburdanidze, Maia (1961) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1984
Çınar Çorlulu, Nilüfer (1962) Turkey - WIM
Corke, Anya (1990) Hong Kong, England - WGM
Čmilytė, Viktorija (1983) Lithuania - WGM and IM
Cramling, Pia (1963) Sweden - GM 1992
Dekic, Biljana (1950) Australia - WIM
Dembo, Yelena (1983) Russia, Israel, Hungary, Greece - WGM and IM
Donaldson, Elena (1957–2012) Russia, Georgia, USA - WGM
Dzagnidze, Nana (1987) Georgia - GM 2008
Dave, Dhyani (1991) Gujarat, India - WFM and WIM
Edzgveradze, Natalia (1975) Georgia - WGM
Eidelson, Rakhil (1958) Belarus - WGM
Ereńska, Hanna (1946) Poland - WGM
Fagan, Louisa Matilda (1850–1931) Italy, UK
Miss Fatima India, United Kingdom
Fierro, Martha (1977) Ecuador - WGM and IM
Forbes, Cathy (1968) England - WIM
Galliamova, Alisa (1972) Russia - WGM and IM
Gaprindashvili, Nona (1941) Georgia - Women's World Champion, GM 1978
Gara, Anita (1983) Hungary - WGM and IM
Gara, Ticia (1984) Hungary - WGM
Gerlecka, Regina (1913–1983) Poland
Gilbert, Ellen (1837–1900) USA
Gilchrist, Mary (c.1882–1947) Scotland
Golubenko, Valentina (1990) Estonia, Croatia - WGM
Goryachkina, Aleksandra (1998) Russia - WGM
Graf, Sonja (1908–1965) Germany, Argentina, USA - WIM
Gresser, Gisela (1906–2000) USA - WIM
Guggenberger, Ilse (1942) Colombia - WIM
Gunina, Valentina (1989) Russia - GM 2013
Guo, Emma (1995) Australia - WIM
Hamid, Rani (1944) Bangladesh - WIM
Harika, Dronavalli (1991) India - WGM and IM
Harum, Gisela (1903–1995) Austria
Heemskerk, Fenny (1919–2007) The Netherlands - WGM
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 - GM 2008
Houska, Jovanka (1980) England - WGM and IM
Hunt, Harriet (1978) England - WGM and IM
Ioseliani, Nana (1962) Georgia - WGM and IM
Jacková, Jana (1982) Czech Republic - WGM and IM
Karavade, Eesha (1987) India - WGM and IM
Karff, Mona (1914–1998) Bessarabia (Moldova), Palestine, USA - WIM
Keller-Hermann, Edith (1921–2010) Germany - WGM
Khoudgarian, Natalia (1975) Russia, Canada - WIM
Khurtsidze, Nino (1975) Georgia - WGM and IM
Kļaviņa, Ilga (1941) Latvia
Klovāne, Astra (1944) Latvia
Konarkowska-Sokolov, Henrijeta (1938) Poland, Serbia - WGM
Koneru, Humpy (1987) India - GM 2002
Korbut, Ekaterina (1985) Russia - WGM and IM
Kosintseva, Nadezhda (1985) Russia - WGM and IM
Kosintseva, Tatiana (1986) Russia - WGM and IM
Kosteniuk, Alexandra (1984) Russia - Women's World Champion, GM 2004
Kostiuk, Tatiana (1982) Ukraine - WGM
Kozlovskaya, Valentina (1938) Russia - WGM
Kristol, Ljuba (1944) Russia, Israel - ICCF Women's World Champion
Krush, Irina (1983) Ukraine, USA - GM (2013)
Kursova, Maria (1986) Armenia - WGM
Kushnir, Alla (1941–2013) Russia, Israel - WGM
Lahno, Kateryna (1989) Ukraine, Russia - GM 2007
Lane, Lisa (1938) USA - WIM
L'Ami, Alina (1985) Romania - IM
Larsen, Ingrid (1909-1990) Denmark - WIM
Lauberte, Milda (1918-2009) Latvia - WIM
Lazarević, Milunka (1932) Serbia - WGM
Levitina, Irina (1954) Russia, USA - WGM
Litinskaya-Shul, Marta (1949) Ukraine - WGM
Mádl, Ildikó (1969) Hungary - WGM and IM
Majdan, Joanna (1988) Poland - WGM
Marić, Alisa (1970) USA, Serbia - WGM and IM
Marić, Mirjana (1970) Serbia - WGM
Marinello, Beatriz (1964) Chile - WIM
Matveeva, Svetlana (1969) Russia - WGM and IM
Menchik, Olga (1908–1944) Czechoslovakia, England
Menchik, Vera (1906–1944) Czechoslovakia, England - Women's World Champion
Michell, Edith (1872–1951) England
Milliet, Sophie (1983) France - WGM and IM
Mišanović, Vesna (1964) Bosnia and Herzegovina - WGM
Mkrtchian, Lilit (1982) Armenia - WGM and IM
Mora, Maria Teresa (1902–1980) Cuba - WIM
Mutesi, Phiona (1993) Uganda - WCM
Muzychuk, Anna (1990) Ukraine, Slovenia - WGM and IM
Mañago-F., Girme (1950) Philippines - WIM
Nakhimovskaya, Zara (1931) Israel
Nebolsina, Vera (1989) Russia - WGM
Öztürk, Kübra (1991) Turkey - WGM
Pähtz, Elisabeth (1985) Germany - WGM and IM
Paridar, Shadi (1986) Iran - WGM
Peng, Zhaoqin (1968) People's Republic of China, Netherlands - GM 2004
Soňa Pertlová (1988–2011) Czech Republic - WIM
Piatigorsky, Jacqueline (1911–2012) France, USA
Pogonina, Natalia (1985) Russia - WGM and IM
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 - WGM
Price, Edith Charlotte (1872–1956) England
Ptáčníková, Lenka (1976) Czech Republic, Iceland - WGM
Qin Kanying (1974) People's Republic of China - WGM
Rajlich, Iweta (1981) Poland - WGM and IM
Reischer, Salome (1899–1980) Austria - WIM
Reizniece-Ozola, Dana (1981) Latvia - WGM
Richards, Heather (1983) England, Australia - WIM
Riegler, Alessandra (1961) Italy - ICCF Women's World Champion
Rinder, Friedl (1905–2001) Germany - WIM
Rogule, Laura (1988) Latvia - WGM
Roodzant, Catharina (1896–1999) The Netherlands
Roos, Nancy (1905–1957) United States
Rootare, Salme (1913–1987) Estonia - WIM
Ross, Laura (1988) United States - WFM
Rubene, Ilze (1958-2002) - WIM
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
Sachdev, Tania (1986) India - IM and WGM
Šafranska, Anda (1960) Latvia, France - WGM
Schwartzmann, Paulette (1910–19??) Latvia, France, Argentina
Schneider, Veronika (1987) Hungary - WGM
Sebag, Marie (1986) France - GM 2008
Semenova, Lidia (1951) Ukraine - WGM
Shahade, Jennifer (1980) USA - WGM
Sheldon, Ruth (1980) England - WIM
Skripchenko, Almira (1976) Moldova, France - WGM and IM
Soćko, Monika (1978) Poland - GM 2008
Srebrnič, Ana (1984) Slovenia - WGM
Starr, Nava (1949) Latvia, Canada - WIM
Stefanova, Antoaneta (1979) Bulgaria - Women's World Champion, GM 2003
Stevenson, Agnes (1873–1935) England
Stock, Lara (1992) Germany, Croatia WGM
Styazhkina, Anna (1997) Russia - WIM
Sukhareva, Olga (1984) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion
Tairova, Elena (1991-2010) Russia - WGM and IM
Tonini, Alice Italy
Topel, Zehra (1987) Turkey - WIM
Tranmer, Eileen (1910–1983) England - WIM
Tuvshintugs, Batchimeg (1986) Mongolia - WGM
Ushenina, Anna (1985) Ukraine - GM 2012
Vajda, Szidonia (1979) Romania, Hungary - WGM and IM
Verőci, Zsuzsa (1949) Hungary - WGM
Volpert, Larisa (1926) Russia - WGM
Vozovic, Oksana (1985) Ukraine - WGM
Wolf-Kalmar, Paula (1881–1931) Austria
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
Yakovleva, Lora (1932) Russia - ICCF Women's World Champion
Yıldız, Betül Cemre (1989) Turkey - WGM
Yuanling Yuan (1994) China - WIM
Zatonskih, Anna (1978) Ukraine, USA - WGM and IM
Zatulovskaya, Tatiana (1935) Azerbaijan, Russia, Israel - WGM
Zawadzka, Beata (1986) Poland - WGM
Zhao Xue (1985) People's Republic of China - GM 2008
Zhu Chen (1976) People's Republic of China, Qatar - Women's World champion, GM 2001
Zhukova, Natalia (1979) Ukraine - GM 2010
Zvorykina, Kira (1919-2014) Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria - WGM