August 18, 2023 – 06:34
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has banned transgender women from participating in women’s chess tournaments until it can properly investigate the issue – which could take up to two years. writes the BBC.
The decision drew a lot of criticism from the association. Several sports governing bodies are working on rules related to transgender athletes, but chess does not require such a level of physical activity that transgender matters to such an extent, critics say.
FIDE told the BBC that it was monitoring what was happening in other sports and considering whether it could transfer these regulations to chess. The federation added that transgender women can still compete in the open part of the tournaments in question.
Transgender chess master Yosha Iglesias says this regulation leads to “unnecessary harm” to trans players and trans women. “This terrible situation will lead to depression and suicide attempts,” he said.
Grandmaster and two-time US women’s champion Jennifer Shahade also criticized FIDE’s decision, saying it was “ridiculous and dangerous”.
FIDE also stated that the titles of trans men who had previously won women’s titles would also be cancelled.
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2023-08-18 04:36:15
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