Aleksandra Goryachkina is the first woman to qualify and play for the Russian Chess Championship and she’s playing well. She won her first game, drew her second and was briefly in first place. There is a common misconception that chess is separated by gender like other sports. However while there are events that are only open to women, there are no events that are only open to men. National Championships in Russia and the United States are restricted to a handful of top players who qualify based on their Elo Rating or performance in qualifying events.