Why there has never been a female chess world champion

"The way the boys treat Beth in the series is a dream; sadly, the reality is not like that," Judit Polgar, a Hungarian former professional chess player and the only woman to have cracked the Top 10 in the game's 15-century history, has said.

Beth's character has many similarities with the late American grandmaster, and former world champion, Bobby Fischer. Often described as one of the best players of all time, Fischer was also known for controversial comments he made including this one from 1963: "Women are terrible chess players … I guess they're just not so smart." More here.

Excellent article.