Woman in chess: titles, events, and usage

Woman

Definition

In chess, “woman” refers to a female player, as well as to women-specific titles, events, and prizes sanctioned by FIDE and national federations. It does not refer to a chess piece in English (the powerful piece is the “queen”), though in several languages the queen is called “lady/woman” (e.g., German “Dame,” Spanish “Dama,” French “Dame”).

Usage in chess

The word appears in a few common contexts:

• Titles: The FIDE titles Woman Grandmaster (WGM), Woman International Master (WIM), Woman FIDE Master (WFM), and Woman Candidate Master (WCM).
• Events: Women’s World Chess Championship, Women’s Candidates, Women’s Chess Olympiad (the women’s section of the Chess Olympiad), continental and national women’s championships, and “Girls” sections in youth events.
• Prizes and ratings: “Top Woman” prizes in open tournaments and separate women’s rating lists.
• Language note: “Open” events and titles (GM, IM, FM, CM) are open to all genders; “open” does not mean “men-only.”

Titles that use “Woman”

• WGM (Woman Grandmaster): Requires performance norms and a lower minimum rating threshold than the open IM title (the WGM rating minimum is 2300).
• WIM (Woman International Master): Norm-based title with a 2200 minimum rating.
• WFM (Woman FIDE Master): Typically awarded upon reaching a 2100 rating or specified results.
• WCM (Woman Candidate Master): Typically awarded upon reaching a 2000 rating or specified results.

Many top women also hold open titles (GM/IM). The women’s titles exist to recognize achievement and encourage participation; they are distinct from, and generally have lower thresholds than, their open counterparts.

Strategic and historical significance

Women have shaped chess history and theory, both through competitive success and instructional contributions. The women’s world title, established in 1927, created a formal championship cycle for female players, while mixed/open events have seen women competing at the very highest levels.

• Vera Menchik became the first Women’s World Champion (1927) and defeated many leading masters of her era.
• Nona Gaprindashvili was the first woman awarded the open GM title (1978), a breakthrough in the title system.
• Maia Chiburdanidze won the women’s crown at age 17 (1978), inspiring a generation.
• Judit Polgár reached a peak rating of 2735 and the world top 10, defeating multiple world champions in classical play.
• Hou Yifan, a prodigy and multi-time Women’s World Champion, became the youngest-ever female GM at 14 years 6 months.
• Modern cycles (Women’s Candidates, World Championship matches) and team events (women’s boards at the Olympiad) continue to elevate visibility and competition.

Examples

• In a sentence (titles): “She earned the WIM title in 2021 and completed her WGM norms the following year.”
• In a sentence (events): “The Women’s Candidates determines the challenger for the Women’s World Championship match.”
• In an open event: “She won the Top Woman prize while tying for first overall.”
• Famous play: Judit Polgár produced the celebrated queen sacrifice brilliancy against Veselin Topalov (Linares, 1994), a game often cited in attacking manuals. Hou Yifan has numerous wins against elite grandmasters in open events, demonstrating universal strength.

Famous moments and anecdotes

• The “Vera Menchik Club”: After a master joked that any player losing to Menchik should be admitted to a “club,” several notable masters did lose to her and were “inducted,” turning the slight into a badge of her strength.
• Kasparov–Polgár touch-move controversy (Linares, 1994): A debated incident in which Garry Kasparov appeared to release a piece and then change his move against Judit Polgár, becoming part of chess lore and discussions on touch-move enforcement.
• Olympiad distinction: The Chess Olympiad features an open section and a women’s section; the Gaprindashvili Cup honors the best combined performance of a federation’s open and women’s teams.

Clarifications and common misconceptions

• Open ≠ Men’s: Open titles and tournaments are for all players, regardless of gender.
• Queen vs. “woman”: In English, the piece is called the “queen,” not “woman,” though many languages use a word meaning “lady/woman.”
• Title hierarchy: WGM is not the same as GM; it sits below the open IM title in terms of formal requirements, even though many WGM/WIMs perform at IM/GM level.

Interesting facts

• Judit Polgár remains the highest-rated woman in history (peak 2735) and reached world No. 8 on the open rating list.
• Women’s World Champions from Menchik to Ju Wenjun have contributed notable opening ideas and endgame studies to modern theory.
• Participation initiatives—girls’ scholastic programs, women’s leagues, and dedicated training camps—have broadened the competitive base and strengthened national teams.

Related terms

• WGM
• WIM
• Women’s
• Open
• Queen
• Chess