Top Women’s World Chess Champions in the history

Chess is a game of strategy, patience, & brilliance, & women have made their mark on it for almost a century. Since 1927, FIDE (the International Chess Federation) has organized the Women’s World Chess Championship, which has crowned some incredible players who have not only dominated women’s chess but also challenged stereotypes & inspired millions of people. Below, we look at the top women’s world chess champions, their stories, & their lasting impact.

1. Vera Menchik

Titles Won: 8 (1927, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939)
Country: Born in Russia, later represented Czechoslovakia & England
Why She’s Great: The first woman to win the Women’s World Chess Championship, Vera Menchik, did so for 17 years until her untimely death in 1944. She pioneered the idea that women could compete against men at the highest levels.
Her Story: Menchik was born in 1906 in Moscow & immigrated to England in 1921. She became well-known very fast after learning chess at the age of 14. With just one defeat in championship tournaments, she won the inaugural Women’s World Championship in 1927, a round-robin competition, & went on to defend her title seven more times! She also competed in open (mixed) tournaments, defeating formidable male players like Samuel Reshevsky & Max Euwe, who would go on to win the world championship. One well-known tale concerns the “Vera Menchik Club,” a joke made by male athletes who lost to her, such as Albert Becker, who made fun of her but later became a member!
Impact: In a game dominated by men, Menchik set new standards. Future generations were inspired by her dominance, & the winning team at the Women’s Chess Olympiad is given the Vera Menchik Cup. She was still champion when she tragically perished in a German air raid in London at the age of 38.
Fun Fact: Menchik has an unrivaled 98.8% win rate in championship tournaments, with a record of 78 victories, 1 defeat, & 4 draws.

2. Nona Gaprindashvili

Titles Won: 5 (1962, 1965, 1968, 1972, 1975)
Country: Georgia (part of the Soviet Union during her reign)
Why She’s Great: Nona Gaprindashvili was the first female grandmaster (GM) & the second-longest-reigning women’s world champion after Menchik, lasting 16 years.
Her Story: Gaprindashvili, who was born in Georgia in 1941, became a national hero after taking up chess at a young age. At the age of 21, she crushed Elisaveta Bykova to win the world title in 1962. She participated in open tournaments & successfully defended her title four times. She tied for first place at Lone Pine in 1977, which helped her win the GM title in 1978. She paved the way by proving that women could play on par with elite male athletes.
Influence: Georgia became a dominant force in women’s chess after Gaprindashvili ignited a chess revolution there. She is still active in her 80s & has won seven senior world titles. Glory to the Queen, a 2021 documentary, tells her story.
Fun Fact: With a score of +94 =26 -8, she participated in 12 Chess Olympiads & won 8 individual golds & 11 team golds.

3. Maia Chiburdanidze

Titles Won: 5 (1978, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1989)
Country: Georgia (part of the Soviet Union during her reign)
Why She’s Great: At the age of 17, Chiburdanidze became one of the youngest world champions ever, & he remained the champion for 13 years.
Her Story: Born in 1961 in Georgia, Chiburdanidze was a prodigy, winning the Soviet Women’s Championship at 15. She defeated Gaprindashvili to win the title in 1978 & went on to defend it against five opponents. She peaked at 48th place in the 1988 FIDE rankings, making her the first female to make it into the top 50 overall.
Impact: After Gaprindashvili, Chiburdanidze maintained Georgia’s supremacy in women’s chess. She participated in men’s competitions & took home victories at Banja Luka 1985 & New Delhi 1984. She promoted mixed tournaments without distinct women’s events & won the GM title in 1984.
Fun Fact: She won nine gold medals at the Chess Olympiad & held the title for 14 years, the third-longest in women’s chess history.

4. Xie Jun

Titles Won: 4 (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000)
Country: China
Why She’s Great: As the first Chinese woman to win a world championship, Xie Jun put an end to Soviet hegemony & marked the beginning of China’s chess ascent.
Her Story: Born in 1970, Xie learned chess at 6 & became a national star. She became a Chinese pride when she won the title in 1991 at the age of 21 by defeating Chiburdanidze. In 1999 & 2000, she won again using a new knockout format after successfully defending her title twice. A generation of Chinese players was influenced by her attacking style.
Impact: China now dominates chess (16 of the last 21 titles) as a result of Xie’s victories, which made the game more widely known there. She won a gold medal at the 1998 Chess Olympiad & is currently the president of the Chinese Chess Association.
Fun Fact: After a 50-year run, Xie became the first non-Soviet champion since Menchik.

5. Hou Yifan

Titles Won: 4 (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016)
Country: China
Why She’s Great: Hou Yifan, who reached the top 100 overall, is among the strongest female players ever & became the youngest women’s world champion at the age of 16.
Her Story: Born in 1994, Hou was a prodigy who became the youngest woman to win the GM title at the age of 14. She defeated Ruan Lufei in a knockout tournament in 2010 to win the world title. She won again in 2013 & 2016 after defending her title in 2011. Hou participated in open tournaments frequently, reaching a peak ranking of 88th in the world & defeating elite players like Fabiano Caruana.
Impact: Hou’s victory cemented China’s supremacy in chess. She inspired young chess players all over the world while juggling her studies at Oxford University. Since 2015, she has held the top spot among women worldwide.
Fun Fact: Hou, who faced men in the open division of the 2008 World Junior Chess Championship, tied for third place.

6. Ju Wenjun Inspiring journey of Ju Wenjun: Women’s World Chess Champion.

Titles Won: 5 (2018, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2025)
Country: China
Why She’s Great: With five titles to his name, Ju Wenjun is currently the world champion, tying Gaprindashvili & Chiburdanidze for the most victories.
Her Story: Ju began playing chess at the age of seven after being born in Shanghai in 1991. She defeated Tan Zhongyi in May 2018 to win her first world title, & she went on to win another in a knockout tournament in November 2018. She defeated Tan Zhongyi 6½–2½ in 2025, Lei Tingjie in 2023, & Aleksandra Goryachkina in 2020 to reclaim her title. Ju is known for her calm, positional play.
Impact: With five titles, Ju is one of the most successful champions. She is the fifth woman to reach 2600 Elo & has won two Chinese Women’s Championships & an Olympiad gold medal. Her 2025 victory netted her €300,000.
Fun fact: Ju is Shanghai’s first champion, & her 2023 & 2025 matches took place in her hometown.

Why These Women’s World Chess Champions Matter

These women didn’t just win titles—they changed chess. Menchik proved women could compete with men, Gaprindashvili & Chiburdanidze made Georgia a chess powerhouse, Xie & Hou put China on the map, Ju continues that legacy, & Polgar inspired countless girls to play. They faced challenges like sexism & limited opportunities but showed that talent knows no gender.

The Bigger Picture

The Women’s World Championship has evolved from round-robin tournaments (1927–1944) to matches (1950s–2000), knockouts (2000–2011), & back to matches (2020–present). While separate women’s events give more women a chance to shine, champions like Judit Polgar (who never played for the women’s title but reached world No. 8) & Hou Yifan argue for mixed competitions to push limits. Today, China dominates, but players from Ukraine, India, & Russia also rank high, showing the game’s global growth.

Fun Facts About Women’s Chess

Only 42 women have earned the GM title as of 2023, compared to over 1,700 men, but the gap is closing.
The 2025 championship prize fund was €500,000, with Ju Wenjun taking €300,000.
Georgia & China have won 21 of the last 28 titles, but 17 different women have been champions overall.

These champions are more than players—they’re pioneers, role models, & proof that chess is for everyone. Their stories remind us that with hard work & passion, anyone can checkmate the odds!