Gukesh’s victory is a milestone for India, but a closer look at gender equality in chess is needed

India is celebrating a historic achievement in the world of chess with D Gukesh’s victory at the 2024 World Chess Championship. This remarkable win has placed India firmly on the global chess map. However, a deeper look at the country's top chess players as per Chess Federation (FIDE) ratings reveals a striking imbalance in gender representation within the sport.

Among India's top male players , Erigaisi Arjun leads with an impressive Elo rating of 2801, followed closely by Gukesh at 2783 and the legendary Viswanathan Anand at 2750. These ratings showcase India's growing strength in the chess world, especially in the men’s category. All the top 10 male players hold the Grandmaster (GM) title, the highest achievement in chess.

On the other hand, in the women’s rankings, Koneru Humpy stands as the highest-rated player with a rating of 2523. She is followed by Divya Deshmukh (2490) and Dronavalli Harika (2489). While Humpy and Harika hold the Grandmaster title, players like Divya and Vaishali Rameshbabu hold the Master (M) title. The difference in ratings between male and female players paints a clear picture of the challenges women face in the competitive world of chess.

Challenges
The disparity in ratings is not just about numbers; it reflects the broader gender divide in a sport that has long been dominated by men. However, women like Humpy and Harika have proven that Indian women can rise to the top. They have set important milestones for future generations of female players.

Despite their achievements, women chess players still struggle with sexism. Divya earlier this year took to Instagram to speak out about the issue, sharing her frustration over the focus on women players' appearances rather than their performances. Her comments came after a troubling experience at the Tata Steel Chess tournament in the Netherlands, where she felt the audience was more interested in her looks than her game.

Divya’s post had sparked a wider conversation about the challenges women face in chess. 

Online trolls often target women players, making derogatory remarks about their appearance, clothing, or behaviour, rather than recognising their skills.

Global scene

This issue is not unique to India. Around the world, only 10% of licensed chess players are women, and the number of female Grandmasters is very low. Experts say this imbalance is largely due to societal stereotypes and a lack of support for young female players.

A study conducted by New York University found that many parents and mentors believed girls were less capable at chess than boys and were more likely to quit due to this belief. This ingrained bias, combined with the negative treatment of women in chess, creates an environment that discourages young girls from pursuing the game seriously.