The people behind the game
Nona Gaprindashvili
A fearless attacking player. In 1978 she became the first woman awarded the grandmaster title.
- Born
- 1941
- Country connections
- Soviet Union / Georgia
At the board
The games. The ideas.
Explore classic encounters and championship battles. Play every move, or jump straight to the moments that tell the story.
1978 · Women’s world championship · Game 13
A new generation in Tbilisi
Game 13 of the 1978 championship features an exchange sacrifice, a promotion and a long rook-versus-bishop ending.
Read the position
Every move sets the scene.
Use the controls to explore the full game, or select an annotated moment below. Each explanation describes the position immediately after its highlighted move.
Complete move list 68 moves
The journey
A remarkable path.
Gaprindashvili defended her world title four times before losing to Chiburdanidze. She also competed successfully in open tournaments. Her 1978 grandmaster award was the first time a woman received that title. [1]
Explore the championship record →The championship record
Time with the crown.
- 1962–1978Women’s world championship
Reigns are periods of title ownership, not a count of championship victories. Open-ended reigns reflect the record checked on 18 October 2026.
Sources & credits
Biographical details and title records checked . Country connections describe the player’s career and background, rather than a live federation listing.
Portrait: Jack de Nijs for Anefo / Anefo · CC0. Displayed in monochrome and cropped.
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