In a world dominated by kings, these extraordinary women emerged as the queens of the chessboard, defying expectations and rewriting the rules of the game. They shattered stereotypes, inspired generations, and carved their names in the annals of chess history. From breaking through the glass ceiling to achieving unprecedented heights, these top 10 female chess players have left an indelible mark on the sport, captivating minds and hearts with their strategic brilliance. 10. Koneru Humpy Koneru was born on 31 March 1987 in India and has not only made history in India, but in the World as a whole. Her talents showed from a young age as she became the youngest woman to become a Grandmaster at the time in 2002. As if this wasn’t enough, 5 years later she became a 2600+ rated player according to FIDE reaching her peak of 2623 in 2009. The only world title she has attained so far is the Women’s World Rapid Championship, which she earned in 2019. With her rating of 2586, currently, she is still within her peak, meaning she has been playing at the top level of her game for over 10 years. She still has some years to make more history, including winning more World Championships. 9. Anna Olehivna Muzychuk Born on the 28th of February 1990, Anna is a Ukraine born Grandmaster who is still currently active. Anna was exposed to chess at the tender age of 2 years as her parents are chess coaches making her a prodigy. This exposure paid off as she is part of an elite group of females who breached the 2600+ FIDE rating barrier. Her peak is 2606, which she achieved in July 2012, according to the official FIDE list. She has won the Rapid World Championship in 2014, and the World Blitz Championship in 2014 and in 2016. The only title that she hasn’t yet won is the Classical World Chess Championship title. She did come close to winning it when she finished 2nd in 2017. This Women’s World Chess Championship title has been elusive for Anna, but not for her younger sister Mariya, who won it in 2015 and could have a place in this list of the Top 10 Greatest Female Chess Players of All Time. With her career still not over, there is a probability that she will win the Classical Chess World title, and when she does, she will probably climb up the rankings. Anna Muzychuk and Mariya Muzychuk are the best women playing chess in their country and since their childhood years have been among the top female chess players in the world. In the video lesson below, the RCA guest coach IM Mat Kolosowski will be presenting to you a few opening traps in the Four Knights Game: 8. Vera Menchik Born on 16 February 1906, Vera will always be recognized as the first-ever Women’s World Chess Champion. She first won the title in 1927, a reign that continued for a total of 17 years. In those 17 years of her title defense, she won 78 games, drew 4 games, and only lost one. Her capabilities also showed as she has a lifetime score of 2-2 with 1 draw again Max Euwe. Her long streak as Women’s World Chess Champion will probably not be broken for a long time. The Grandmaster title back then was still new into the scene and the criteria were still a bit unclear. If she were to be born within modern times, and had the same great results as she had back then against both female and male chess players, there is no doubt she would have attained the title of Grandmaster. You can watch in a short and amusing video (from our Spanish YouTube channel), a chess game played between Vera Menchik and Max Euwe, with a clear victory for her! 7. Aleksandra Goryachkina According to FIDE this is the third highest-rated female chess player of all time. Born on 28 September 1998, Aleksandra Goryachkina is a Russian Grandmaster. She attained the title of Grandmaster in 2018, making her the fifth-youngest female chess player to achieve the title. As if this wasn’t enough, in August 2011, she joined the 2600+ group, peaking at 2611 according to FIDE. Currently, her rating is 2610, and with age on her side, there is a high possibility that she can probably reach 2650+. She is the previous runner up to the Women’s World Chess Championship title, losing on tiebreaks against Ju Wenjun in 2020. Her FIDE rating speaks volumes as she is the youngest female on this list. There is a high possibility that when her career in chess is complete, she will be ranking higher. 6. Ju Wenjun Born on 31 January 1991, Ju Wenjun is a Chinese-born and bred Grandmaster. In November of 2014, she attained the title of Grandmaster from FIDE after meeting all the requirements. As if this wasn’t enough, she joined a list of elite female chess players after she officially reached a FIDE rating of 2604 in March 2017. Currently, she is the Women’s World Champion and has held the title on 3 different occasions, which are twice in 2018 and in 2020. Due to Covid-19, her title defense has been delayed until 2022 with the candidate still yet to be determined. Ju is able to gradually climb this list, considering that she is still active and isn’t changing the history books. 5. Susan Polgar Born on 19 April 1969, Susan is a Hungarian Grandmaster who made huge contributions to the game as a whole. While most females would participate in females-only tournaments, Susan is the first woman to part take in events that had the majority as males. In accordance with history, she is the third woman to obtain the title of Grandmaster after Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidze. She obtained the title of Women’s World Champion in 1996, then lost it in 1999 by way of forfeit due to multiple complications. Her peak rating … Continue reading Top 10 Greatest Female Chess Players of All Time