From Lockdown to Livestreaming: Nemo Zhou's Chess Career
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Nemo Zhou found herself "losing [her] mind" while confined at home and considered earning some income through streaming chess. What began as a pastime soon evolved into a professional career.
Zhou holds the title of woman grandmaster, the highest female-only chess title, and was studying economics and mathematics at the University of Toronto when she started streaming in 2020. Initially appearing as a guest on a friend's channel, she launched her own stream shortly before the release of Netflix's The Queen's Gambit, which, combined with the pandemic, sparked a global surge in chess interest.
Her channel rapidly gained popularity, prompting Zhou to leave university to dedicate herself fully to streaming.
'You have to really put yourself out there'
Now 26, Zhou has amassed over two million followers across Twitch, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. She streams for five to six hours daily, at least five days a week, with peak viewership on weekends.
Her content includes online and in-person games, such as matches against the renowned Washington Square Park hustlers in New York.
Zhou has secured commercial sponsorships, collaborates with other creators, and travels internationally.
Her YouTube revenue derives from views, advertising, and brand partnerships, while Instagram income comes from sponsored posts. On Twitch, she earns through subscriptions starting at approximately $5 (£3.70) per month in the US and from donations known as "bits," the platform's in-app currency.
Dr. Nina Willment, an associate researcher at the University of York, estimates that a content creator with Zhou's following could earn a comfortable six-figure salary across platforms, though she notes this is a broad estimate since most streamers do not disclose earnings.
Zhou declined to comment on her income.
Willment further states that Zhou's two million-plus followers place her in the top 1-2% of content creators worldwide.
'We needed a bit of a make-over'
Chess content creators like Zhou are instrumental in modernizing the ancient game for the 21st Century.
Traditionally, elite chess was played silently in halls with games lasting several hours and minimal engagement for casual audiences. This is changing as more tournaments adopt "rapid" and "blitz" formats, with games lasting as little as three minutes per player. Players often wear heart rate monitors to display stress during critical moments.
In 2025, chess debuted at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of the largest competitive gaming events globally. The event is set to return with increased participation this year.
These developments are helping to dispel the perception of chess as an "old man's game," according to woman international master Fiona Steil-Antoni, who serves as a commentator and interviewer at international tournaments.
"I think we needed a bit of a makeover," she says, "and we're very much getting that."
You can watch our video report on the women changing the image of chess on YouTube.
'I've never stopped thinking about content creation'
Following in the footsteps of streamers like Zhou is Sarah El Barbry, a 24-year-old with Egyptian and Moroccan heritage who grew up in Paris. She began producing chess content on TikTok in 2023 and started streaming last year after noticing a lack of female French-speaking streamers.
Her content includes online chess games, educational videos, and in-person challenges such as blindfold chess, where players visualize the board mentally.
In November 2025, a video of El Barbry starting a game with only a King and Queen and delivering checkmate went viral, garnering 28 million views and 10,000 new followers. She now has over 75,000 followers across platforms.
"Since I started, I've never stopped thinking about content creation. I work sometimes during the night from midnight to 3am."
Despite the potential for lucrative earnings, success is not guaranteed. Initially, El Barbry earned only $117 (£87) monthly from streaming before expanding to YouTube. Her current income is approximately $1,700 (£1,300) per month, which remains below France's minimum wage.
Willment explains that while some streamers achieve notable success, this overshadows the reality that "thousands, if not millions of people" earn nothing while attempting to break through.
'I know I have more viewers because I'm a girl'
As of January 2026, female-led channels accounted for about half of the top 20 most-watched chess streams on Twitch, excluding large corporate channels, according to Twitchmetrics, a platform tracking Twitch engagement.
However, most chess content creators and their audiences remain predominantly male.
El Barbry estimates her audience was 95% male when she began and has since decreased to about 85%. She believes her gender contributes to higher viewership compared to some male streamers.
"I'm OK with that because, you know, it's a part of the game."
Zhou reports that her YouTube audience is approximately 80% male, while her Instagram chess page has an even 50-50 gender split, which she finds "pretty crazy and pretty cool."
Women at the top of the game
The chess boom has encouraged more women and girls to participate competitively. The proportion of female players registered with the World Chess Federation (FIDE) for "standard" time control games has increased from 10% in 2020 to 16.5% in 2026.
Nonetheless, the elite level remains male-dominated. Currently, no women are ranked in the top 100 players globally, with only three women having ever achieved this milestone.
Research indicates the performance gap between men and women can be attributed to factors such as lower female participation rates, a scarcity of women coaches, and playing environments that can be hostile to girls and women.
Countries where chess is taught in primary schools show smaller participation gaps, including Mongolia with nearly 40% female FIDE-registered players, Sri Lanka at 35%, and Uganda at 30%.
Steil-Antoni expresses cautious optimism about progress toward gender equality in chess.
"I'm cautiously optimistic" the game will move closer to "some kind of equality in my lifetime."
'It's going to be everything or nothing'
Zhou has expanded her ambitions beyond chess, venturing into lifestyle, travel, and fashion content. In October 2025, she participated in Paris Fashion Week and aims to sign with a modeling agency and reach one million followers on her Instagram chess page.
El Barbry has set a six-month timeframe to establish herself as a successful streamer. If unsuccessful, she plans to pursue a corporate career, holding degrees in civil engineering and business management.
In January 2026, El Barbry made her debut as a commentator at a major esports event, describing recent months as an "adventure."
"I feel that this year is going to be crazy. It's going to be everything or nothing."
This article is part of the BBC World Service's Global Women series, highlighting untold and significant stories worldwide.
