Encountering assumptions about gender capabilities can be incredibly frustrating, especially when women are underestimated. Jules, a U.S. women's top 100 chess champion who has been competing since childhood, recently turned the tables on some unsuspecting street chess players who openly mocked her—until they realized too late that she was no amateur.
Jules, who shares chess-related content under the TikTok handle @julesgambit, posted a video capturing this unforgettable moment. She captioned her video, "The ending though," and included text overlay reading, "When they think you can't play because you are wearing bows."
In the video, Jules sits down for a street chess match against a man surrounded by several other male spectators. After making aggressive moves and theatrically celebrating each small win, the man confidently motioned as if he had already won the match. However, Jules swiftly executed her final winning move, leaving him visibly shocked and the audience cheering loudly. She celebrated by making a chef's kiss gesture with both hands.
Viewers quickly flooded the video's comments to express their delight and share personal experiences. User @malierzz humorously wrote, "Can someone who plays tell me what’s happening? I mean I understand a queen is important af but there’s no check. Is it just that he lost his queen so early?" Another viewer, @tnza70, questioned the man's reaction: "What happened? She put the bishop under attack from tours and Black’s king is generally in a completely different direction, then what did he freak out about? Then just play and play."
Image Source: TikTok | @xoxomaddielee17
@sste.l.a summed up the moment perfectly, remarking, "It's only good because he was being cocky a second ago but then again, it's soooo good."
@catch.these.vibes humorously added, "Even the man in the back couldn’t keep up meanwhile she wondering 'now why the f*** would you do that?'" @energieheilung related similar experiences, sharing, "Same with the taxi drivers at main station with Backgammon. Like, chill out! I'm not bewitching the dice."
Image Source: TikTok | @itjustme
Commenter @the.christine emphasized the satisfying nature of Jules' victory: "Old men are often cocky and condescending and throw tantrums, so seeing them lose a game they were so aggressive about, to a woman they underestimated, is peak entertainment."
The viral video garnered more than 4.9 million views and over 808k likes. In another clip, Jules highlighted the gender-related struggles women chess players often encounter. "Playing chess as a woman be like..." she captioned a video showing her and fellow female chess players enjoying a night out. In response, a user named @rtm135 commented, "Something tells me that not a single one of you actually knows how to play chess." Jules responded to this comment by pointing out, "The irony is immense."
You can follow Jules (@julesgambit) on TikTok for more chess-related insights and entertaining content.
Representative Image: The work-from-home tools get the job done, even if you still can't find the mute button. 
Representative Image: The party was probably not this lit, but it sounded like it from the floor below. 
TikTok | @whitneyrose617
Tiktok | @whitneyrose617
