What’s your next great move? In women’s chess, you can find the power it takes to make beautiful smart decisions. Click to read more!
Chess and women’s empowerment
It’s a well-known fact that almost all chess masters have been males, however, throughout the years, women have broken barriers and have established their legacy in the chess field, opening new doors for girls and women around the world who look up to them.
Chess is a strategic sport. It is a deep and mental battle between the two players in the game. And for a long time, women’s presence in this sport has been questioned, making a clear division between males and females, underrating women’s capabilities1. Much more than a game, chess is a powerful educational tool with the potential to foster both creative and critical thinking skills. Chess is both a sport and an art and the benefits of the game can be enjoyed not only by players but also by spectators, students, and artists. Similarly everyone, regardless of gender or background, has the potential to experience the benefits of chess3.
It is through female players that young girls build a strong connection, watching their role model achieve their goals, encourages them to follow their own paths as well, allowing the female role to grow more and more within this sport.
The progress made in women’s chess has increased throughout the years, welcoming even more women, giving them a sense of reclaiming their selfconfidence, and allowing their skills to be seen. It is also through chess that women’s empowerment is achieved. Fostering their focus and polishing their ways of thinking and strategizing is just one way in which women have claimed their place, not only as strong women but also as strong players2.
On this International Chess Day, we encourage our community to be a part of taking a step toward more equitable and less stigmatized chess by making smart and beautiful choices. As a company, we are committed to continue empowering women and girls throughout chess by providing them with spaces in which they can show their abilities and passion, but especially, spaces where they can make history.
References
[1] US Chess Federation. https://new.uschess.org/womens
[2] Women in Chess Initiative. US Chess Federation. https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative
[3] Saint Louis Org. https://news.stlpublicradio.org/arts/2016-02-25/on-chess-women-and-the-power-of-the-queen
