– I don’t know why men do it better. But there may be some physical reasons, Hou Yifan told NRK.

She was the only girl at the chess super tournament in the Netherlands, and on Saturday she met Magnus Carlsen. The world’s best woman against the world’s best man – you might think this was the matchup that brought the chess world to a standstill. But Carlsen is too good for that.

– We have played one regular match and a few quick matches. But Magnus is quite strong, so I hope to learn from him, he said.

– Women play with more emotion

There is a big difference between women and men in chess. The best woman in the world rankings, the legendary Judit Polgar, has dropped to 67th – and she has given up. Hou Yifan is the only active woman in the world’s top 300 chess players.

It may seem strange in a sport that is minimally physical, but Hou believes that physicality is so influential that it becomes an obstacle for female players.

– Chess is not just about brains, but about having the energy to last the whole game. Therefore, physically stronger men may benefit, he said.

– In addition, women often play with more emotion, which is not always an advantage in chess, says the world champion.

Want to meet friends

He still believes the main reason is that more men than women play chess. And he wanted to do something about it.

– I hope I can prove that we women can keep up with men. “I hope this will get more girls playing chess,” she said.

The Chinese are so strong that there is no point in playing against other women. Instead, she is often the only woman in top openweight tournaments.

– I got the impression that they treated me the same as everyone else. I like it!

Carlsen: – He plays very tactically

Magnus Carlsen says he loves playing against the world’s best female players.

– It would be nice to meet Hou Yifan. He is a good player. He plays very tactically, Magnus Carlsen told NRK.