More boys play chess than girls: Bibisara Assaubayeva highlights gender gap in chess coaching

OSLO: Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan feels that though women chess players in general suffered due to lack of self-belief, the key reason for the qualitative difference between male and female players is probably something else altogether.The three-time Women’s World Blitz champion, world No. 4, told TOI that more boys played the 64-square game than the girls. “That and coaches usually focusing more on the boys also makes it harder for girls. More so to be a top player.”The 22-year-old probably cannot complain from not being helped by men. Her good friend Javokhir Sindarov, who will challenge D Gukesh for the world crown, is here to help her. Plus, she has also received guidance from his coach and IM Roman Vidonyak.Bibisara also got a taste of high-level chess when she played against strong male players in the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle tour last year. She lost six of her seven games, drawing only with Sindarov.