The popular show, “The Queen’s Gambit”, showcased the challenges faced by its lead, Beth Harmon, in the predominantly male chess environment. Now, fresh research mirrors this fictional depiction, showing real instances of underestimating young female chess players.

Data reveals that only 14% of players in the U.S. Chess Federation are women. The study, set to appear in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, surveyed around 300 parents and mentors affiliated with the U.S. Chess Federation. They shared views on the abilities and potential of their child or mentee. Later, they were questioned about the importance of brilliance in chess.

While young women were deemed as competent as young men in current skills, the latter received more optimistic evaluations regarding future potential. Interestingly, this bias intensified among respondents who believed brilliance was a key factor in chess. Those respondents felt young women might eventually leave the game. “It’s noteworthy how some parents and coaches, despite being invested in girls’ achievements, still have biases against them,” remarked Andrei Cimpian, the study’s senior author from NYU’s Psychology Department.