Women Champions in Bridge, Chess, and Poker
Great Bridge Links | Alex J. Coyne | June, 2024
Josephine Culbertson (1923 to 1938) was generally considered a better player than her famous teammate and husband Ely Culbertson. However, references and resources have long understated women champions and their mindsports contributions – including within bridge, chess, and poker.
Bridge: A Mindsport for All (BAMSA) research underlines important reasons for why male-dominant rankings have been historically normal within bridge and other mindsports; the study also looks at why this is rapidly changing today.
Partially, some of the reasons for the existing bias in mindsports: limited visibility, male-dominant teams and coaches, and skewed data about supposed differences between genders and the ways they think. Gender-specific tournaments also add to the existing bias that’s out there.
Men are wrongfully believed to act from sheer logic, whilst women are falsely thought to action more emotional decisions. In mindsports and wargames, this simply isn’t true.
Stereotypes like these are steadily disappearing from the military, but according to the National Defense University Press, there are still existing stereotypes which are standing in the way of effective integration (and sometimes decent teaching).
Bridge, a technical wargame, faces the same problem – and it can also be said for other mindsports, like poker and chess.
There are still considerable gaps: Hermione Le Roux-Ellis points out in a 2023 LitNet feature that FIDE bars transgender and cisgender cross-competition. With time, players who are hopefully in the majority are doing more to see these gaps close in competitive mindsports.
According to a BAMSA press release, the European Bridge League (EBL) has developed policies to raise further awareness of gender-based issues in bridge and other mindsports.
Now is a good time to take note of female players everywhere.
Many are rising fast, and we might soon see more mixed-competition with fairer world rankings… Or so we hope.
Who are the current reigning queens of bridge, chess, and poker? Here’s a look at the women’s mindsports champions for 2024.
Poker
As of 2024, top women poker players in the world are distinguished by their significant achievements and earnings in live tournaments.
Vanessa Selbst: Selbst is widely regarded as one of the best female poker players in history. She has over $11.8 million in live tournament earnings and three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets. Selbst is the only woman to have ever held the number one position in the Global Poker Index (CardsChat) (PokerProNews).
Kristen Bicknell: With over $7 million in live tournament earnings, Kristen Bicknell is a top Canadian poker player. She has won multiple WSOP bracelets and has been named Female Poker Player of the Year several times at the Global Poker Index awards (CardsChat) (PokerProNews).
Kathy Liebert: Liebert has been a prominent figure in poker for decades, with live tournament earnings exceeding $6.1 million. She was inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2010 and has a WSOP bracelet to her name (CardsChat) (PokerProNews).
Maria Ho: Maria Ho has accumulated over $4.5 million in live tournament earnings. She has multiple WSOP cashes and is also known for her work as a commentator and television host. She finished as the last woman standing in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, where she placed 38th (CardsChat) (PokerProNews) (888 Poker).
Vanessa Rousso: Rousso has over $3.5 million in live tournament earnings. She has had significant success in various tournaments, including a major win at the 2009 European Poker Tour High Roller Championship (Online Poker America) (888 Poker).
Lisa Costello is a prominent poker player who recently won the 2023 World Poker Tour (WPT) Ladies Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. This victory earned her $85,297 and marked her largest lifetime cash. Costello managed to rise to the top of a field of 457 entrants, demonstrating her skills and perseverance, especially after being down to just five big blinds on the second day of the tournament (World Poker Tour) (CardsChat).
Chess
As of 2024, the top five women chess players in the world, based on their FIDE ratings and achievements, are:
Hou Yifan: Hou Yifan from China remains one of the strongest female chess players globally. She has been the highest-rated female player since Judit Polgar’s retirement and holds multiple Women’s World Chess Championship titles. Her consistent top performances make her a dominant figure in women’s chess (FIDE Ratings) (Chess.com).
Aleksandra Goryachkina: A Russian grandmaster, Goryachkina has been a leading figure in women’s chess, competing at the highest levels, including the Women’s World Championship matches. Her solid play and competitive spirit place her among the best (Chess.com) (2700Chess).
Kateryna Lagno: Originally from Ukraine and now representing Russia, Lagno is known for her aggressive and tactical style. She has been a top contender in numerous international events and has consistently maintained a high rating (FIDE Ratings) (2700Chess).
Koneru Humpy: An Indian grandmaster, Humpy Koneru has been a significant force in women’s chess for years. She has won many prestigious titles and continues to be one of the top players with her strategic prowess and experience (FIDE Ratings) (2700Chess).
Ju Wenjun: Another top Chinese player, Ju Wenjun, has held the Women’s World Chess Championship title multiple times. Her strong performances in international tournaments keep her among the top-ranked female players in the world (FIDE Ratings). During the Asian Women’s Chess Championship 2004, she placed second at age 13 during a three-way tie. Since 14, Wenjun is an accredited chess grandmaster, and in 2013 she became an official chess world champion. (Chess.com). That’s not all: in 2017, she became the fifth female player in history to achieve a 2600-rating. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has called Ju “the Queen of the chess world”.
Ju has become somewhat of a chess celebrity and social media influencer, facing champion Magnus Carlsen for a 2022 charity game. She was also featured as a guest on Chess24, answering questions about her moves and strategies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KWdnxXpAig
Today, she’s a four-time Women’s World Champion.
Bridge
As of 2024, the top women bridge players are recognized for their exceptional skills and contributions to the game. Here are the top five women bridge players:
Jill Meyers: Jill Meyers is one of the most accomplished women in bridge. She has won numerous national and international titles, including multiple victories at the World Bridge Championships. Meyers is known for her strategic acumen and leadership in the bridge community (Great Bridge Links).
Kerri Sanborn: Kerri Sanborn has been a dominant force in women’s bridge for decades. She has an impressive record of wins in both national and world championships. Sanborn’s expertise and consistent performance make her one of the top players in the field (Great Bridge Links).
Sabine Auken: Sabine Auken from Germany is renowned for her aggressive and skillful play. She has won several world championships and is a prominent figure in European bridge. Auken’s contributions to the game extend beyond her playing abilities, as she is also involved in promoting bridge globally (Great Bridge Links).
Sylvia Shi: Sylvia Shi is a rising star in the bridge world. She has achieved significant success in various national and international tournaments. Shi is known for her analytical skills and has quickly made a name for herself among the top players (BridgeBase News).
Tracey Bauer: Tracey Bauer has recently gained attention for her performances in major women’s bridge events, including winning the WBF Women’s Spring Festival. Her dedication to the game and ability to compete at the highest levels make her a key player to watch (BridgeBase News) (Great Bridge Links).
And here are the top WBF Masterpoint holders:
Kathrine Bertheau is the world’s current top female bridge player, measured by masterpoints.
Kathrine was born in 1975, rising to tournament bridge when she and her teammates won the European Women Teams Championship in 2004. Again, she achieved bridge fame when her team took the runners-up spot in 2017’s Venice Cup.
According to WBFMasterpoints.com, her masterpoints totalled 2538 as of November, 2023.
Emma Övelius, also from Sweden, is the second highest player on the World Bridge Federation’s list is with 2151 masterpoints.
Kathrine’s victories include winning the Venice Cup in 2019 and 2022, according to the World Bridge Federation.
She’s been a featured pro-player guest on the bridge podcast Sorry, Partner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAOz3PcusYk
A more recent victory also adds a 2023 Women’s Teams win as part of Team Tripolar, defeating Team Baker for the top spot.