Iris Mou

Woman Grand Master Iris Mou of New York City, who recently turned 17, is currently ranked 26th in the world on the FIDE Girls Under 21 list. She had her greatest success to date this spring winning the XVII Women’s Continental Championship held in Lima, Peru, with a score of 7 ½ from 9 and with it a spot in the 2027 FIDE Women’s World Cup.

Iris, who defeated former Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk and 2019 European Women’s Champion Alina Kashlinkaya in the 2024 FIDE Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship in New York, has enjoyed great success in the Kasparov Chess Foundation’s All-Girls National Championship, winning her section in 2022, 2023 and 2025.

This year will be the fourth time Iris has played in the U.S. Girls Junior Championship. Previously she was 5th in 2023 (4 ½ – 4 ½), 3rd in 2024 (5 ½ – 3 ½) and 5th in 2025 (4 ½ – 4 ½). 

Iris is the author of The Feminist Case Against Abolishing Women’s Chess which can be found on The Opinion Pages.