← Greatest players, rankedBest Female Chess Players of All Time
A ranked, cited list of the greatest women in chess history — by peak rating, titles, and impact. Updated 2026.
The short version. The best female chess player of all time is Judit Polgár — the strongest woman in history by a clear margin, who peaked at 2735 and beat eleven world champions while playing in the open game. Below, fifteen of the greatest women players ever, ranked, with peak rating and what each is best known for.
1Judit PolgárHungary · Grandmaster (1991). Never played the women's world title — competed in the open game her whole career.
The strongest female player in history by a wide margin. Peaked at world #8, beat eleven world champions including Kasparov, Karpov, Anand and Carlsen, and at 15 became the youngest GM ever at the time.
2735peak2005
2Hou YifanChina · Women's World Champion four times (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016). GM (2008).
The dominant women's player of the 2010s and the highest-rated active woman for years. Became the youngest-ever Women's World Champion at 16 and is the second-highest-rated woman ever, behind only Judit Polgár.
2686peak2015
3Vera MenchikUnited Kingdom / Czechoslovakia · First Women's World Champion (1927–1944), winning the title a record eight times.
The first Women's World Champion and the first woman to compete seriously against top male masters. Her ~17-year reign is the longest in the championship's history; the 'Vera Menchik Club' was the wry name for the masters she defeated.
Pre-Elo era
4Koneru HumpyIndia · GM (2002). Women's World Rapid Champion (2019, 2024). Two-time Women's World Championship finalist.
The second woman to cross 2600. For years India's strongest woman and a fixture in the world top three, she became GM at 15 — then a record for the youngest woman to do so.
2623peak2011
5Maia ChiburdanidzeGeorgia (USSR) · Women's World Champion 1978–1991 (defended the title four times). GM (1984).
Became Women's World Champion at 17, the youngest ever at the time, and held it for 13 years. One of the first women awarded the (open) Grandmaster title and a six-time Olympiad gold medalist.
2560peak1988
6Nona GaprindashviliGeorgia (USSR) · Women's World Champion 1962–1978. First woman awarded the full (open) GM title, 1978.
Reigned as Women's World Champion for 16 years and in 1978 became the first woman to earn the open Grandmaster title, a landmark moment for women's chess.
2495peak1982
7Ju WenjunChina · Women's World Champion (2018–2025; defended four times). GM (2014).
One of the longest-reigning modern Women's World Champions, holding the classical title from 2018 and defending it repeatedly. A steady, deeply prepared positional player who crossed 2600.
2604peak2017
8Xie JunChina · Women's World Champion twice (1991–1996, 1999–2001). GM (1994).
Ended the long Soviet/Georgian grip on the women's title by defeating Chiburdanidze in 1991 — the first Chinese world chess champion and the trailblazer for China's now-dominant women's program.
2574peak1996
9Susan PolgarHungary / United States · Women's World Champion (1996–1999). GM (1991).
The eldest of the Polgár sisters and one of the first women to earn the GM title via the same norms as men. Held the women's world title and was a four-time Olympiad gold medalist.
2577peak2005
10Aleksandra GoryachkinaRussia · GM (2018). Women's World Championship challenger (2020). Multiple Women's Candidates winner.
One of only a handful of women to cross 2600 in classical chess. Dominated the 2019 Women's Candidates and pushed Ju Wenjun to the brink in their 2020 world title match.
2611peak2022
11Lei TingjieChina · GM (2017). Women's World Championship challenger (2023).
A creative attacking player who won the 2022–23 Women's Candidates to challenge Ju Wenjun for the world title, and has ranked among the very top women in the world.
2566peak2023
12Pia CramlingSweden · GM (1992) — one of the first women to earn the open GM title.
A pioneer of women's chess in the West with one of the longest elite careers on record, still competing at a high level into her 60s. Among the first women to earn the open Grandmaster title.
2550peak1990
13Anna MuzychukUkraine · GM (2012). Women's World Rapid and Blitz Champion (2016).
One of the very few women to break 2600 in classical chess and a simultaneous world rapid and blitz champion, renowned for her sharp, fast-play strength.
2606peak2012
14Kateryna LagnoRussia / Ukraine · GM (2007). Women's World Rapid Champion (2014, 2018) and Blitz Champion (2010, 2018, 2019).
A perennial top-ten woman for nearly two decades and a multiple world rapid and blitz champion, who set a record as the youngest woman to earn the GM title in her era.
2560peak2017
15Tan ZhongyiChina · Women's World Champion (2017–2018). GM (2017).
A former Women's World Champion and part of China's golden generation of women's players, a tenacious competitor who has repeatedly contended for the world title.
2548peak2017
How this list is ranked
This is an editorial ranking, not a single-number sort. Peak rating matters — and Judit Polgár leads it outright — but so do dominance in one's era, championship record, and historical impact. That's why Vera Menchik, who has no Elo at all because she played before the rating system existed, sits near the very top: her ~17-year reign as the first Women's World Champion is one of the most dominant runs the game has seen. Where a player predates Elo we mark her pre-Elo era rather than invent a number. Names linked in gold have a full BetterChess profile with replayable games.
The story the list tells
Read top to bottom, this is also a history of women's chess: from Menchik breaking into a male-only master scene, through the long Soviet–Georgian dominance of Gaprindashvili and Chiburdanidze, to Xie Jun opening the door for China's now-dominant program, to Judit Polgár simply refusing the women's circuit and beating the men instead. The names at the bottom of the list — Lei Tingjie, Tan Zhongyi, Kateryna Lagno — are still adding to their records. For the all-time greats of any gender, and the record books, see our greatest players and chess records pages.
Frequently asked
Who is the best female chess player of all time?
Judit Polgár of Hungary is widely regarded as the strongest female chess player in history, by a wide margin. She peaked at a classical rating of 2735 (2005), reached world #8 overall, and beat eleven world champions — including Kasparov, Karpov, Anand and Carlsen. Unusually, she never competed for the women's world title, choosing to play in the open game her whole career.
What about Vera Menchik — she has no rating?
Vera Menchik played before the Elo rating system existed, so there is no peak rating to quote for her. That doesn't diminish her: she was the first Women's World Champion (1927) and held the title for about 17 years, the longest reign in its history. We mark pre-Elo players as 'pre-Elo era' rather than inventing a number.
Is this list of women only, or overall strength?
It's a ranked, editorial list of the greatest women players specifically. It weighs peak rating, championship record, dominance in their era, and historical impact — not a single number. Judit Polgár, for context, would rank among the strongest players of any gender of her time.
How many women have crossed 2600?
Only a handful in classical chess — Judit Polgár (who went well beyond, to 2735), Hou Yifan, Koneru Humpy, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Muzychuk and Ju Wenjun among them. Several appear on this list. Crossing 2600 over the board is a genuinely elite achievement.
Where can I learn from these players?
Studying their games is the best place to start, and BetterChess can help you turn study into rating: review your own games for free to find the move that lost it, then let the live coach explain every move while you play. Improvement comes from your own effort — but the path is clearer with a coach watching.
Sources
Peak ratings, titles and records are taken from each player's reference page and cross-checked against the FIDE rating lists: