Whenever one talks about women in chess, certain names are never to be forgotten. That is the case with Nona Gaprindashvili.

Many of our readers will remember her as the 6th women’s World Champion (1962‑1978), but she is much more than that: she is a chess legend.

The 3rd of May Gaprindashvili turned 65 years old, and today we would like to dedicate this article to her.

Nona was born in Zugdidi, in the heart of the Soviet Georgia. This ex‑Soviet republic is one of the most prolific sources of chess players of the world. Chess is, in fact, the national sport there.

As a school girl, Nona began to glitter and her promise proved true when she qualified in 1962 for the world championship. She historically surpassed all expectations by reaching the final against the former world champion, the Russian Elizaveta Bykova. Back then, nobody thought that 21‑year‑old Nona could win the title, but she did, and in amazingly dominant fashion.

Nona won the match nine points to two. Bykova’s stunning defeat heralded the beginning of a long reign for Gaprindashvili. Nona kept the title until 1978, when she lost against her compatriot Maya Chiburdanidze (who was 17 years old at the time), by a very narrow margin.

Indeed, it is not surprising that her successor came from Georgia as well. Nona had become an inspiration and heroine in her country, and in the world. She won a number of international men’s tournaments and in 1978 was awarded the title of Grand Master. She was the first woman to become a grand master–the distinction previously reserved for men until her ascension.

So vast was her popularity a perfume was marketed donning her name, a testament not seen since, nor, most likely, ever to be seen again.

The last time fans could savor the scent of Nona’s perfume in the realm of chess was last year, when she won the “BDO Chess Tournament” played in Haarlem in the Netherlands. One of her “victims” en route to the championship was Israeli International Master, Afek Yochanan. Here is their game.