Maia Chiburdanidze is a Georgian chess Grandmaster. She is the sixth Women's World Chess Champion, a title she held from 1978 to 1991, and was the youngest one until 2010, when this record was broken by Hou Yifan. Chiburdanidze is the second woman to be awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE, which took place in 1984. She has played on nine gold-medal-winning teams in the Women's Chess Olympiad.
Vera Francevna Mencikova, was a Russian-born Czechoslovak chess player who primarily resided in England. She was the first and longest-reigning Women's World Chess Champion from 1927 to 1944, winning the championship eight times primarily in round-robin tournaments. In an era when women primarily competed against other women, Menchik was the first and only woman competing in master-level tournaments with the world's best players.
Mona May Karff was an American chess player. She dominated U.S. women's chess in the 1940s and early 1950s: she held seven U.S. Women's Chess Champion titles and four consecutive U.S. Open titles.
Olga Nikolayevna Rubtsova was a Soviet chess player and the fourth women's world chess champion. In 2015, she was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame.
Lyudmila Vladimirovna Rudenko was a Soviet chess player and the second women's world chess champion, from 1950 until 1953.
Elisaveta Ivanovna Bykova was a Soviet chess player and twice Women's World Chess Champion, from 1953 until 1956, and again from 1958 to 1962. She was awarded the titles of Woman International Master in 1950, International Master in 1953, and Woman Grandmaster in 1976. In 2013, she was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame.
The Women's World Chess Championship is a chess match played to determine the Women's World Chess Champion. It has been administered by FIDE since its inception in 1927, unlike the absolute World Chess Championship, which only came under FIDE's control in 1948.
The 1948 World Chess Championship was a quintuple round-robin tournament played to determine the new World Chess Champion following the death of the previous champion Alexander Alekhine in 1946. The tournament marked the passing of control of the championship title to FIDE, the International Chess Federation which had been formed in 1924. Mikhail Botvinnik won the five-player championship tournament, beginning the era of Soviet domination of international chess that would last over twenty years without interruption.
Róża Maria Herman was a Polish chess player. She was awarded the title International Woman Master by FIDE in 1950.
The Interregnum of World Chess Champions lasted from the death of incumbent World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine on 24 March 1946, until Mikhail Botvinnik won a specially organized championship tournament to succeed him on 17 May 1948.
María Teresa Mora Iturralde was a Cuban chess master.
Clarice Benini was an Italian chess player. She was awarded the title International Woman Master by FIDE in 1950.
The first Women's World Chess Championship took place during the 1st Chess Olympiad, held from 18 to 30 July 1927 in London. It was organized by FIDE and was played as a full round-robin tournament. Vera Menchik won the championship, conceding only half a point in her 11 games. The final results were as follows:
After their 1934 match, reigning Women's World Chess Champion Vera Menchik and Sonja Graf played a second championship match in Semmering from June 26 to July 17, 1937.
The 1953 Women's World Chess Championship was the first to feature a Candidates Tournament that produced a challenger for the reigning champion, much like the system used for the open championship title.
The Women's World Chess Championship was established by FIDE in 1927. The format and regularity of the event has changed many times.
Elena Lukauskienė, née Stankevičiūtė, married Raclauskienė, also Raclauskienė-Lukauskienė, was a Lithuanian chess master. She was a two-time Lithuanian Women's Chess Champion and a participant at the Women's World Chess Championship (1939). For saving two Jewish children during the Holocaust in Lithuania, she was recognized as the Righteous Among the Nations in 2006.
Vasily Mikhailovich Byvshev was a Russian chess master. In the 1950's he was one of the strongest Soviet masters and he qualified three times for the USSR Chess Championship. Byvshev is best known for his accomplishments as a chess teacher. He was coach of women's world champion Lyudmila Rudenko and FIDE world champion Alexander Khalifman.
Women represent a small minority of chess players at all ages and levels. Female chess players today generally compete in a mix of open tournaments and women's tournaments, the latter of which are most prominent at or near the top level of women's chess and at youth levels. Modern top-level women's tournaments help provide a means for some participants to be full-time professional chess players. The majority of these tournaments are organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and revolve around the World Championship cycle, which culminates in a match to decide the Women's World Chess Champion. Beyond those events, among the most prominent women's tournaments are women's and girls' national and continental championships.
Lyudmila Rudenko (Soviet Union)
Edith Keller (East Germany)
Eileen Betsy Tranmer (England)
Chantal Chaudé de Silans (France)
Fenny Heemskerk (Netherlands)
Clarice Benini (Italy)
Jozsa Langos (Hungary)
María Teresa Mora (Cuba)
Gisela Kahn Gresser (USA)
Nina Grushkova-Belska (Czechoslovakia)
Ingrid Larsen (Denmark)
Róża Germanova (Poland)
