Perhaps There Is An Growth In Moms Learning Chess
It is from the FIDE (Federacion Internationale des Echecs), anglicized as the World Chess Organization, that we can get the most reliable figures pertaining to chess players and their rankings.
In the records of this organization may be seen figures relating to the top chess players in the world and the countries predominating the game. Also reflected in their charts are statistics for total male and female aficionados and top rated male and female players. The FIDE uses a special ratings scheme known as the Harkness ratings chart to designate the skill level of chess players worldwide. To have some kind of status with the FIDE a player should have scored at least 22.7% against an opponent with an average rating of 1,850 in an eleven round tournament. This gives the player the minimum C rating of 1,600.
In brief, the number of women listed by FIDE who have qualified themselves into the ratings chart was 3,592 in 2004. the number more than doubled in 2008 with 7,826 female players making into the ratings chart.
To view the matter from another standpoint, we can take a look at the average ratings per N female chess players compiled every trimester from July, 2000 to the present. The statistics start out with samplings of 50 top women players. In July, 2000 until April, 2008. However, the following trimester, in July, 2008, the number of samplings was increased for some reason to 100 players. Is this an indication that the number of women who made it to the Harkness ratings chart has increased by double the original value? Probably.
The average Harkness Rating for female players have also been characteristically on the rise. In July, 2000 this figure for 50 top players was 2,444 which in the Harkness ratings table indicates a status of Senior Master. In April, 2008 this value increased by 33 points to 2,477 which is still included in the range of values for Senior Masters.
The average ratings themselves have been steadily rising, if by on or two points only. It seems to reached its ceiling at the level of Senior Master. The July, 2000 number was 2,444. This went up to 2,477 in April, 2008.
When the number of players included in each sample was doubled, a dramatic decrease in the average, as expected, was seen. Specifically the average rating went down by 44 units. Subsequently, this number has again, been steadily if slowly increasing.
In a period of 30 months (10 trimesters), when and if the May, 2010 calculations are finished, we might expect to see the average rating for 100 players at 2444. this is the exact same average for the top 50 women players in July, 2000.
In short, within 30 months (20 trimesters) since the samplings were doubled from 50 to 100 individuals we should expect the average skill rating of female chess players to reach the original 2,444 value that it had when these statistics were compiled for 50 top players.
However, the chart indicates that women have stagnated at the level of Senior Master for a long time. Or is this just because the samplings have been increased from 50 individuals to 100? Whatever misgivings we may have about the figures, the fact remains. Women are invading the traditionally male world of chess.
Doc. No:110-JS-ULT5-jn17zx
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