Historically, men have dominated chess through a combination of societal, psychological, and cognitive factors. Gender stereotypes, differential encouragement, and societal expectations push women away from competitive chess. Psychological pressures such as stereotype threat further limit women’s performance. In addition, personality traits and differences in cognitive abilities, for example, spatial reasoning contribute to the gender gap. The male variability hypothesis suggests that men are more represented at both the upper and lower ends. By providing equal opportunities, mentoring, and challenging stereotypes, these issues can be addressed and a more inclusive chess environment can be created, thus allowing every player, irrespective of gender, to reach their full potential.