Kazakh GM Bibisara Assaubayeva shared her opinion on gender difference in professional chess. Bibisara states that coaches pay more attention to male players, and says it is harder for women to be a top player.

Bibisara Assaubayeva is playing in Norway Chess 2026. Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov and his coach, German IM Roman Vidonyak, help her in preparation and provide guidance at the event. Bibisara leads the tournament with 15.5/24 points after eight rounds.

Hungarian GM Judit Polgar is the only female player in history to reach 2700+. She reached a rating of 2735, and is No. 66 of all time. Six players, including Judit, reached a rating above 2600. The No. 1 female chess player is Chinese GM Hou Yifan (2596), as of June 2026.

Credit: Michal Walusza / Norway Chess