Transgender women have been temporarily barred from participating in official women’s chess events by the leading global chess federation – FIDE – pending a review of the situation. The move has sparked debate between trans rights activists and anti-trans individuals.
The Reasons Behind the Ban
FIDE had been receiving an increasing number of recognition requests from transgender players, which prompted a decision to evaluate trans women on a case-by-case basis – a process that is expected to take up to two years. A spokesperson from FIDE said: “Change of gender is a change that has a significant impact on a player’s status and future eligibility. In the event that the gender was changed from a male to a female, the player has no right to participate in official FIDE events for women until FIDE’s decision is made”
An Evolving Issue
FIDE referred to transgender players as an “evolving issue for chess” and said that “further policy may need to be evolved in the future in line with research evidence.” The timing of the decision coincides with a World Cup event in Azerbaijan, featuring prominent players like Magnus Carlsen – the world’s number one ranked player.
Various Chess Tournaments
The federation hosts inclusive tournaments welcoming all participants, alongside distinct divisions tailored for women, young players, and even computer programs. The women’s division exists to entice more girls into the sport in the hopes that, one day, there will be as many highly skilled female players as there are male.
Transgender Women in Sports
Various sports governing bodies – including the International Cycling Union – have addressed the subject of transgender athletes. Notably, the cycling federation recently ruled that transgender women who transitioned after male puberty would no longer be eligible to participate in women’s races.
What the Research Says
While there have been concerns about potential advantages stemming from biological differences, research has shown that transgender women typically experience a reduction in their perceived advantages after undergoing hormone therapy for a certain period – usually around two years. Studies suggest that after this time, any residual advantages are generally comparable to the natural variations seen among cisgender women. Of course, this research was in regard to physical sports – not chess.
Online Commenters Were Shocked
The story was shared across social media and people had a lot to say. “They think a trans woman [competing] would be unfair because they believe [cisgender] males are better at chess,” one person wrote. “You’re telling me transphobes are misogynists too? Who could have known?” another sarcastically responded.
The Cruelty Behind the Decision
Others analyzed the reasons for the existence of women’s chess divisions. One person wrote: “The tournaments are mostly there to give visibility to women’s chess and provide opportunities for women to play competitive chess without the burden of being alone in a sea of men, where the potential for discriminatory behavior towards them is really big. Trans women desperately need visibility and safe spaces like those – I’d say even more so than cis women – so yes, allowing them to participate is totally fair and not allowing them to is pretty cruel.”
Others Were Confused
A fair few commenters were confused by the move. “Given the context and specific game we’re talking about, I fail to understand why the gender distinction here matters at all,” one person wrote. “Theoretically, a high level [cisgender] male player could [claim to be a] trans [woman] and then go win a women’s tournament for serious [dollar]. Now, I don’t think that’ll happen but it’s why some might freak out over a hypothetical,” another replied, highlighting the need for case-by-case assessments rather than a blanket ban – which is what FIDE appears to be aiming for.
Trans People Gave Their Thoughts Too
Transgender people chimed in to give their thoughts too. One individual wrote: “As a trans woman myself, I don’t really feel welcome in chess clubs to begin with. I guess I wasn’t feeling that way for no good reason. This just makes me sad. I don’t really know what to say. I’m not a threat. I can’t even hang around normal chess clubs because no one wants to speak to me after they find out I’m trans. I only play online because I can at least be anonymous and not have anyone find out because, in real life, I can’t maintain my [feminine] voice all day long.”
Chess and Misogyny
Others discussed chess’ history of misogyny. One person wrote: “Surprising nobody, a sport with a powerful history of misogyny still has echoes of that misogyny. FIDE obviously believes that [cisgender] males are superior to [cisgender] females in a sport that requires absolutely no physical capabilities to play. And the answer to the ‘if we only have one category then there’ll be no high-level women’ counter-argument, we need a hell of a lot more women to be playing chess in order to start seeing a higher volume of high-caliber women competitors.”
People Were Emotional
Others were a bit more emotional in their responses. “Disgusting. The only reason they’d institute this policy is a basic belief that [cisgender] women are intellectually inferior to [cisgender] men,” one person wrote. “This is actually heartbreaking. I don’t know if it’s more transphobic or more misogynistic,” another said.
Some Supported the Move
Some commenters supported the decision. One said: “I support this. I don’t support the fact that it’s going to take two years but I do support the principal. I’m not against trans women in women’s sports either. I just think things always need to be looked at on a case-by-case basis, including here. In physical sports, a case-by-case assessment is necessary to ensure trans women have lost their physical advantage. Here, it’s necessary to ensure a high-ranking cis man isn’t lying so he can win some prize money.”
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