"With my first Twitch stream, like 60% of it was just people trying to flirt with me and chat, or people just commenting on my appearance the entire time. They didn't care about the game play at all."

"The growth of chess has been so healthy on Twitch, and it's one of those games that is never going to die out. Chess has really survived the age of time. So I think it's gonna survive on Twitch as well."

"Women in chess is not something very common. It has taken very long to get to the point where we're starting to change the stereotype that women are not genetically inferior to men at playing chess."

"It doesn't matter what their social or economic background is — it's very cheap to play, and you can get good just by practicing. Kids from rural areas can play kids from private schools. It develops confidence and the ability to work with logic."

"It's crazy to me to have this kind of support and this kind of viewership online for chess. Chess has always been a passion of mine, but it was never something that was popular. It was never something I would have imagined would have grown to what it is today."

"Sometimes it's the people who are your closest friends that think females are genetically worse at chess. I've often heard comments like, 'you're playing the girl, it's an easy win.' It gets in the back of your head when you've heard it for so long, and it messes with your sense of confidence. Maybe you start doubting yourself a little bit more, but you just try to keep fighting those thoughts."

"When it comes to our fans, when you meet people who watch Twitch, you mean a lot to them. But Twitch is still such a small world. So it's a very interesting bond, but I don't think it compares to mainstream fame."

"From day one I knew my first original techno track would be inspired by Queen's Gambit. For the last 6 months, I’ve reworked this idea a hundred times, until it finally felt authentic & wholeheartedly me."

"I never expected to have a career in chess. It was always a side hobby that I was really passionate about."

"The chess world is officially a joke. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE IN HISTORY. I can’t believe that the official body of chess is being controlled by a singular player FOR THE 2ND TIME THIS WEEK. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WORLD CHAMPION!"

"Chess speaks for itself."

"I have never cheated in an over-the-board game. And other than when I was 12 years old I have never cheated in a tournament with prize money. I decided the only way to make up for my mistake was to prove that I could win over the board events. That has been my mission. And that is why I have lived in a suitcase and played 260 games in one year, trained for 12 hours a day, because I have something to prove."

"No matter the obstacles that I will face, no matter how much you try to blacklist me, no matter what you do to try to ruin my career or slander my reputation—these difficult times... have only invigorated me even more to reach the top of chess. There will be a day when I will be the best chess player in the world."

"How. Am I. This! Fucking! Good?! Holy shit! I am the fucking best!"

"My entire life and career have been destroyed. I'll have to live with the fact that every conversation I have about chess, we'll eventually discuss anal beads."

"Tournament chess is not relaxing. It's stressful, even if you win."

"My first goal is to create an attractive, interactive website that forms a community of chess lovers. I want to keep it light and keep people coming back ⎯ heavy on photos, humor, and simple chess tactics and strategies. I want to promote our top players to increase their visibility and their chances to make a living at chess."

"Most chess books only sell a few thousand copies, and a book titled something like “Women in Chess” would sell even fewer. The idea with this title was to spread the book outside the competitive chess world. I’m interested in attracting readers who love chess but play only casually, and feminists interested in male dominated fields."

"I’m only interested in playing competitively if there’s serious money on the line. I love playing, but at this point I need a concrete incentive to devote the time necessary to make that happen. If chess was my only love, I’d do it in spite of the financial hurdles. But because I love so many other things, writing and editing in particular, it makes sense to me to focus on that now."

"The biggest challenge in a simul is finding the right shoes! I want to look good in front of fifty people, but really sneakers are the best bet. I try to finish a simul as quickly as possible and don’t worry if I lose a game or two along the way. It becomes a manic workout. I’m literally running around playing moves as fast as my fingers and legs will go. My brain usually follows. The simul is a great chess illusion. It makes the simul-giver seem like a genius, when really they’re just speaking their language. Chessplayers rely so heavily on instincts developed from years of training and practice. Chess is not all about thinking, there’s a lot of feeling involved."

"I love chess, but it's the height of decadence."