Toronto chess club hires resident female grandmaster to attract more women to the game

A Toronto club has added a resident female grandmaster to its ranks and hopes the move will motivate more girls and women to take up chess.

The Toronto Annex Chess Club says female grandmaster Anna Burtasova will be an in-house consultant and advisor, providing lectures and exhibitions and helping grow the membership base. Originally from the Soviet Union, Burtasova became a women’s grandmaster in 2009 at 22.

Club manager George Supol says the popularity of the Queen’s Gambit television series, combined with increased chess activity during the pandemic, has attracted much more interest in the game.

About 10 percent of the club’s members are women, but with the addition of Burtasova Supol now hopes to see that increase.

When the club re-opened to over-the-board competition in March this year, it soon gained more than 100 new members. Even though online chess is a popular way for players to compete, many missed the human connection of in-person events.

Supol says the club meets Monday nights for the Toronto chess community and has a mix of casual and tournament play. It also offers chess classes to all levels of players, whether they’re beginners or advanced.