A Real Queen's Gambit Story? From A Dream To A Grandmaster
Nadya Ortiz grew up on the mean streets of Colombia, in a humble family and not a lot of money. However, she had a dream of becoming a chess Grandmaster and she worked and couch-surfed until she could do it.
Now a software developer at Apple, living in Silicon Valley and the first woman to ever obtain this title in Colombia, Nadya truly lives the American Dream. This raw conversation includes topics such as sexism, bigotry and sexual harassment, but showcases the grit and determination of an incredibly inspiring woman.
About Nadya Ortiz
Nadya has many strings to her bow, but one of her most impressive achievements is that she is one of the top female chess Grandmasters in the world, despite growing up with nothing.
She pursued her dream by couch surfing all over the world to be able to play in chess tournaments, improving bit by bit. She studied relentlessly and achieved the title that very few have.
Since then, she has landed a top job as a software developer at Apple, and lives in Silicon Valley. She literally lives a dream life to many.
In This Episode...
Chess has risen in popularity since the Queen’s Gambit’s success on Netflix, but it is still relatively small compared to the likes of other games, such as poker.
So it’s an interesting discussion to hear about what it’s like as a woman in chess, when the ratio is still hugely skewed towards men.
This episode exposes the level of sexism and even darker acts in the chess world and how you can survive as a woman in this male-dominated industry.
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