Women Powering Chess.com

Over the past year, the Chess.com team has grown considerably into a robust community with employees from 60+ countries. Like on a chessboard, our team meets in the center through our mission to champion the great game of chess.

To celebrate Women's History Month, I was lucky enough to interview some of the women who power Chess.com. Learn more about their unique pathways to growing a career in chess!

Luyu Zhou, Technical Product Manager

“I became a user of Chess.com long before I joined as a staff member. It was in December 2010, one month before I left China and started studying in France. I was 18 years old and had never traveled abroad. Playing on Chess.com against a guy with a Swiss flag next to his profile soothed my anxiety of leaving home; I had a subtle feeling that Europe was not that far away.

“It’s been only two months since I joined Chess.com from Play Magnus Group (PMG). I enjoy incredible freedom and support to contribute to what I’m truly passionate about. As a technical product manager, I recently started leading a project that enables chess engine analysis to be shared between different products. Sometimes I even get my hands dirty and write some code!

“As someone who has played chess since the age of six, the game has already grown beyond my imagination! But we can always dream more. I hope that chess professionals will gain more recognition and make a decent living, so that prodigies can keep pursuing their dream without being told: ‘This is not a real profession.’”

Eva Ferreras, Full-Stack Engineer

“Thanks to The Queen's Gambit, I started playing chess, and the game very quickly became something important to me. At the time, the coding boot camp I was a part of introduced us to various companies, including Chessable. I was excited to contribute to growing the game on a wider scale. Currently, I work as a full-stack developer. 

“During the past few years, I've worked on the Chessable platform: building features, fixing bugs — everything needed for the user to enjoy their personal study platform! Chess has taught me many things, and I'm looking forward to seeing the game become even more mainstream, so everybody can discover the beauty of the game.”

Mathilde Congiu, Full-Stack Developer

“I started working at Chessable two years ago and have recently joined the Chess.com family. As a full-stack developer at Chessable, I work with the team who developed our science-based technology, such as our Spaced Repetition System (SRS). Chessable developed a system that helps people to create stronger learning connections in the brain, ultimately improving their memory. 

“At our Barcelona office, my colleagues play in the Catalan league every Sunday, and I give them a chess lesson weekly in our office. Those are unforgettable moments we share. We laugh a lot and share the same passion, creating solid links among us. 

“While The Queen's Gambit series helped bring more women into chess, we still have much to do. Some levers we can use are inclusive language in communication, being very careful with discrimination, and severely punishing harassment.”

Judit Sztaray, Director of Chess Club Relations

“Half of the time, I work with the Events Department. I'm a female arbiter with the highest arbiter title, International Arbiter (FIDE) and National TD (U.S.). I also help with game operations and coordinating event-related matters.

“The other half of the time, I'm working with chess clubs and helping them get support from Chess.com so they can grow and offer chess to more people. We support clubs with free merch, customer support, and offer a community for them where they can connect and learn from each other.

“As a female arbiter, I'd love to see more girls and women interested in becoming official organizers and arbiters. The chess world needs more female leaders. My other passion is scholastic chess and making it accessible to all kids! Please encourage them to get started, and keep playing by creating fun events and encouraging them not to quit!”

Bilge Demirkaya, Front-End Engineer

“As an enthusiastic chess player, the opportunity to work at ChessKid.com is fascinating. My role as a front-end developer within the company goes beyond building and maintaining our site. Instead, I aim to make the chess world more accessible, engaging, and thrilling for young players worldwide. 

“I have recently worked on the front-end of our new Classroom feature, designed to create a welcoming learning platform for coaches and parents to teach kids from a distance. In real-time, we’re making an impact on the next generation of chess players by building tools that allow kids to analyze their games and learn in effective ways.

“In the future, I would love to see more young girls and women engaged in chess, as this is an area where the game has historically been underrepresented. At Chess.com, I believe we’re contributing to a brighter future by hosting events to celebrate young girls in chess, such as the 3rd Annual ChessKid USA Girls Championship.”

Maria Emilianova, Photographer and Chess Correspondent

"Back in 2017, Chess.com’s CEO, Erik, and CCO, Danny, were the first and only people in the chess world to let me prove that having an in-house photographer is worth it, and I am forever grateful for that. Today, I am responsible for the entire photography assets database at Chess.com and take photographs for all major events coverage.

"With my photography, I try to show that chess is a powerful game for all ages, genders, and strengths. Chess should not have barriers!"

Rida Hussain, Billing Support Specialist

“I work in the Billing and Member Support Department, where I have the opportunity to assist our valued members with any website-related issues they may face and provide support for all their needs. 

“Whether troubleshooting technical problems, resolving billing issues, or simply sharing my passion for the game, I'm excited to help others enjoy chess to the fullest. I would love to see more diversity in the chess world, including people of all identities, from different backgrounds and countries at a competitive level.

“I'm also hoping for a future where we can finally settle the debate of whether the knight or bishop is superior once and for all ... with an epic medieval-style jousting tournament.”

Are you looking to help us grow the game of chess? Check out our open positions: https://www.chess.com/jobs.