New Study on Sex Differences in Chess Published in Journal, Supported by Chessable
Chessable is proud to announce that a major new study on sex differences in chess performance has been published in Chance, a peer-reviewed journal. The work, partially funded by Chessable, represents one of the most comprehensive analyses ever conducted on this topic as it draws on nearly three decades of data from over 680,000 players from the United States Chess Federation (US Chess).
The research was coauthored by Angela Li, Dr. Mark Glickman, and Dr. Christopher F. Chabris. It is an expansion and update to the landmark study by Chabris and Glickman published in 2006 in Psychological Science, the flagship journal of the Association for Psychological Science and the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology.
That earlier research first identified a consistent gender gap in chess ratings but also found that in communities where girls and boys participated in equal numbers, the gap faded. Building on that foundation, the new research revisits the topic with data from 15 additional years. The findings revealed that:
- Boys and girls both improve steadily over time, but boys tend to begin with a rating advantage that persists through the years
- Girls drop out of rated competition at higher rates than boys, suggesting differences in long-term retention and engagement
- However, when boys and girls are matched for age, cohort year, and starting rating, their rating progressions are virtually identical.
As the authors note, “In geographic areas where more girls are playing from the start, the gap in starting ratings between boys and girls shrinks… These findings suggest that fostering environments where girls are more equally represented might go a long way toward leveling the playing field.”
Together, these results reinforce the participation rate hypothesis, which claims that the rating gap is merely a product of the differences in participation and retention, and not intrinsic ability.
Both studies were driven by Dr. Mark Glickman, a senior lecturer on statistics at Harvard University, the Chairman of the US Chess Ratings Committee and one of the world’s leading experts in chess ratings.
This research underscores Chessable’s ongoing commitment to science, data-driven insight and inclusivity in chess, supporting studies that deepen our understanding of chess topics.
References
Li, A., Glickman, M. E., & Chabris, C. F. (2025). Across the Board: Sex, Ratings, and Retention in Competitive Chess. CHANCE, 38(3), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/09332480.2025.2560279
Chabris, C. F., & Glickman, M. E. (2006). Sex Differences in Intellectual Performance: Analysis of a Large Cohort of Competitive Chess Players. Psychological Science, 17(12), 1040–1046. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01828.x
