Maia Chiburdanidze

A Manly Move! Sexist Chess Annotations

In the June 2026 issue of Oklahoma Chess Magazine, editor Tom Braunlich annotated a game between Miles Melvin and FM Ryan Amburgy. About White’s fourth move, b4, National Master Braunlich wrote, “The rare Evans Gambit. A manly move!” More 🡢

Almost 50 years earlier, National Master Guthrie McClain wrote that then Women’s World Champion Maia Chiburdanidze played like a man. More 🡢

Chess Champion from China

Ding Liren winning the FIDE World Championship 2023 reminds fans that China is a chess powerhouse. Perhaps the first time a Chinese player captured the world’s attention was October 29, 1991. That’s when Xie Jun (family name Xie) won the Women’s World Chess Championship. More 🡢

Infographic: All World Chess Champions

We all know that Magnus Carlsen is the World Chess Champion, but who was the first one? And when? Even less is known about women champions. You probably have heard about Susan Polgar, but who is the current woman chess champion? More 🡢