Girl Power

Vera Menchik (16 February 1906–27 June 1944) was a British-Czech chess player who gained renown as the world's first women's chess champion. She also competed in chess tournaments with some of the world's leading male chess masters, defeating many of them, including future World Champion Max Euwe.

Nona Gaprindashvili (born 3 May 1941) is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion (1962–1978), and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia (then part of the Soviet Union), she was the strongest female player of her generation.

Maia Chiburdanidze (born January 17, 1961) is a Georgian chess grandmaster, and the seventh (and then youngest) Women's World Chess Champion. She is the only chess player in history who has won nine Chess Olympiads.

Hou Yifan (born February 27, 1994, in Xinghua, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China)is a Chinese chess prodigy. She is the current Women's World Chess Champion, the youngest ever, and the youngest ever female player to qualify for the title of Grandmaster.

Humpy Koneru (born 31 March 1987 in Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh) is a chess grandmaster from India. Her January 2010 FIDE Elo rating is 2614, placing her number two in the world for women (behind Judit Polgár). In 2007 she surpassed the rating of 2577 set by Susan Polgar to become the second-highest ranked female player in history. She became the second female player ever, after Judit Polgár, to exceed the 2600 Elo mark.

Xie Jun (born October 30, 1970, Baoding, Hebei) is a chess grandmaster from China. She had two reigns as Women's World Chess Champion, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001. Xie is only the second woman to have two reigns, the other being Elisabeth Bykova.

Judit Polgár (born July 23, 1976) is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, she achieved the title of Grandmaster (GM) at the age of 15 years and 4 months. She was, at that time, the youngest person ever to do so. Polgár is ranked number 49 in the world on the November 2010 FIDE rating list with an Elo rating of 2686, the only[update] woman on FIDE's Top 100 Players list, and has been ranked as high as eighth (in 2005)