Alexandra Botez and others have talked about it at considerable length. Suffice it to say, none of them feel discouraged to play by the existence of women's tit

Alexandra Botez and others have talked about it at considerable length. Suffice it to say, none of them feel discouraged to play by the existence of women's titles. And they all have pretty horrible stories of harassment or even assault growing up as young women in the chess world. Women's titles are not some sort of value reducing participation trophies, and the chess world is far more hostile as a status quo than you're assuming.