I'd guess it is more opportunities than wisdom. I remember reading about a study looking at why boys who did very well in STEM subjects in high school were mor

I'd guess it is more opportunities than wisdom. I remember reading about a study looking at why boys who did very well in STEM subjects in high school were more likely to major in those subjects in college than girls who did very well in those subjects in high school. They looked at how these kids who were at the top of their classes in STEM subjects did in their non-STEM subjects. The boys were much more likely than the girls to have STEM subjects as the only subjects where they were at the top of the class. They were often good in other subjects, but usually only outstanding in STEM. The girls were more likely than the boys to be at the top in both STEM and non-STEM. They speculated that this could partly explain why girls who are as good as the top boys in high school STEM subjects are less likely to major in such subjects in college. Maybe there is something similar except for chess instead of STEM? So girls might obsess as much as boys, but girls who are good at chess might be more likely to also be good at something else and so are less likely to pick chess as what they obsess over.