French chess player and coach Yosha Iglesias has made history as the second transgender woman to win a national chess title. The 37-year-old also holds the distinction of being the first transgender player to earn the prestigious Woman International Master (WIM) title.
Iglesias secured her WIM title in April last year after achieving her fourth and final norm at a closed international women’s tournament in Rouen, France, marking a groundbreaking moment in the chess world, .
Yosha Iglesias journey as Transgender Chess player
Yosha’s journey has been anything but easy. At just 16, she left her home in France in 2004 and moved to Sochi, Russia, to pursue serious chess training. There, she studied under an International Master who had once faced the legendary Mikhail Tal and also had the opportunity to meet former world champion Boris Spassky.
At 18, Yosha returned to France and began a new chapter as a chess coach. Though she identified as a woman, she was forced to postpone her plans to transition due to financial constraints. Living on a modest monthly income of just €1,000 (about $1,080), transitioning was out of reach for many years.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Yosha made the decision to fully embrace her identity and begin her transition. Since then, she has spent approximately €20,000 (about $21,600) on her transition journey, which included €5,000 (around $5,400) for facial feminization surgery. Much of this amount was raised through crowdfunding efforts within the supportive chess community.
Yosha on receiving insults
Despite transitioning, it has not been an easy world for Yosha, who continues to face insults for her transgender identity. Speaking to Times Of India she said, “When I became the first trans Woman International Master, when I won anything, I received hundreds of insults. Sometimes thousands. And I kept wondering, how so many people in the world have the time to insult me? I’m just a chess player.”
