'LET'S CLOSE CHESS' GENDER GAP'

Grandmasters hail progress but say more needs to be done for females

- Kimberly Kwek

When Alexandra Kosteniuk signed her daughter up for a football camp some time ago, the latter refused to continue after one session because she was the only girl playing.

The Swiss-Russian chess grandmaster knows all too well what it is like to be a female player in a male-dominated game.

Growing up, her peers at chess tournaments were mainly boys and while that did not hinder her progress, she acknowledges that it is one of the key factors that may deter girls from getting into the game.

On her daughter's football experience, she said: "It was only after that I realised that for most of the girls, it's a very important factor. They do need, not only role models, but some female friends who also go with them because they can be shy, they don't feel comfortable if there are boys around.

"It depends on the individual, of course - for me, it was not the case, but for many girls, it is. That's why we need to have girls playing chess, so other girls also start playing and start considering coming to chess clubs, to chess tournaments, because they're going to have fun with their friends."