Chess in Mother's Hands: A Battle Continues Beyond the Board

The window of a residential flat in Mumbai let the evening light in. A folded procedures sheet lay on the table, next to an open chessboard. The 40th square of the board held a king, before it stood two turns, above it two rooks, behind it a rook and a pawn. In front of it stood a mother, 22 years old. Her name was etched, but her game held years of experience. This position was from a 2026 online tournament, which saw participation from nearly 1,200 players, of whom approximately 60% were female. The organizers of the tournament explicitly highlighted this data for the first time. This segment of chess—designated for women—has continued for nearly 15 years, but the number of tournaments has increased significantly. In 2026, there were 40 such events; in 2026, the number stood at 76. Looking at this picture, it appears that interest in women's chess is not just increasing, but it remains unclear whether this is a sustainable growth or a temporary trend, as there is no definitive data on this. An important aspect is that in these tournaments, 8 out of the top 10 players had an ELO rating below 1,800. On the other hand, in tournaments organized for men, the number of players with 1,800+ ratings is two to three times higher. This gap shows that women's games are still within specific limits. A study published in 2026 revealed that to find a female player who achieves a 1,800+ rating in one out of every 10 tournaments. When discussing the players, one thing becomes clear. Alongside the games on the board, their impact on the players' lifestyles is also visible. A 2026 survey revealed that 65% of female players reported that their responsibility fulfillment (such as childcare) systematically reduces their chess training time. This is not a new discovery, but it acts as an important source of barriers to participation in this game. The perspective of federations is similar. The Bangladesh Chess Federation decided to organize a separate tournament for women in 2026, which was not present in the 2026 policy. This is a positive step, but it is yet to be seen whether this will be a sustainable change. In 2026, the number of women participating in chess in Bangladesh was 1,240, whereas in 2026, it stood at 1,890. This growth of 52% is not without precedent. Considering this position and the surrounding information together, what is the impact of chess on the lifestyle of a female player who regularly participates in tournaments? A researcher states that this game is a part of lifestyle, not dependent on it. Whether this claim is correct or not requires long-term research.