Women’s world champion from 1962 to 1978 and the first woman to be awarded the full grandmaster title, in 1978. She made Georgia a powerhouse of women’s chess.
Gaprindashvili won the women’s world title in 1962 and defended it four times. Her aggressive style made her a star, and she regularly competed in men’s tournaments, sharing first place at Lone Pine 1977.
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A national hero
Her success inspired a golden generation of Georgian women players, including Maia Chiburdanidze, and made chess hugely popular in Georgia. In 1978 FIDE awarded her the grandmaster title — the first woman to receive it.
Did you know?
♞Fact #1Tap to revealShe was the first woman to receive the full GM title.
♝Fact #2Tap to revealGeorgia’s women’s team became an Olympiad powerhouse in her era.
Three lessons from Gaprindashvili for your own games
1Play actively and boldly
2Compete against the strongest field you can
3Success inspires the next generation
Nona Gaprindashvili’s games
Watch the featured game replay itself, or pick any game below. Every game opens move by move with engine analysis.