news Trans Women banned from Women’s Chess

[byzantium]

Transgender women banned from women's chess events https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-66538328
 

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) says it is temporarily banning transgender women from competing in its women's events.

The FIDE said individual cases would require "further analysis" and that a decision could take up to two years

 

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Why does chess have gendered competitions anyways?  

 

 

[Bloodflowers.]

There's nothing physical in chess. I-

 

 

[Big Bad Wolf]

Dumbasses!

[Gottasadae]

Chess only requires a brain activity, so what they trying to prove 

[Legend E]

Quote

Why does chess have gendered competitions anyways?  

was about to ask. this reeks of misogyny (and transphobia of course)

[Mitsouko]

I need to know their reasoning  

[LustSpell]

Transphobia and misogyny. There is no difference between between women and men mentally

[Aston Martin]

Just now, Gottasadae said:

Chess only requires a brain activity, so what they trying to prove 

Which should disqualify transphobes from competing since they're clearly lacking in it

 

ot: this is foul. **** transphobes and **** anyone that supports this. 

[Bonicap]

11 minutes ago, byzantium said:

Why does chess have gendered competitions anyways?  

There are not exclusive male competitions on chess. There is one for everybody and, in big competitions, another one only for women, so women can choose which one they want to play. For example the best woman player of all time, Judit Polgar, only plays (or played) in mixed tournaments. Women-only competitions exist to promote the sport among women, because if they didn't exist the competitions would have 98 men and 2 women. If you are a top woman player you'll be playing against men 95% of the times.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Bonicap

[Digitalism]

The fact that there is women chess category is dumb here.

 

[State of Grace.]

TERFs/Anti-trans fools: Supporting trans people and their right to participate in sports in actually misogynist!

Also them: We have to ban trans women from women's chess because they are men and they are intellectually superior to women! not fair! We need to look into the differences in spatial cognition and brain chemistry!

 

So you're telling me the anti-trans fools are also....anti-women? But I thought their transphobic attacks are meant to protect women?  

Edited August 18, 2023 by State of Grace.

[loveisdead9582]

… wtf? I kind of understand some of the mental gymnastics of banning trans athletes in certain sports but how the hell does this make sense? Chess relies on brain power - clearly something that these people don’t have enough of. 

[Sheep]

13 minutes ago, byzantium said:

Why does chess have gendered competitions anyways?  

6 minutes ago, Legend E said:

was about to ask. this reeks of misogyny (and transphobia of course)

Because there was only ever been a few women to ever compete at the top level in all of history before they made a separate space for women. This policy is predicated on the idea that trans women aren't women.

 

However it's also worth noting that "mens" chess has never excluded women.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Century

[CBC]

transphobic and misogynistic at the same time...

[Domination]

Lol, the optics of this story. Ban trans women from women’s division -> justify it with the explanation that they have a biological mental advantage over cis women. Do a away with women’s division all together -> women almost completely cease to a have a presence in competitive chess at all. What a mess!

 

Just let trans women into the women’s division and deal with the blowback as it comes.

[Dula Peep]

[byzantium]

13 minutes ago, Bonicap said:

There are not exclusive male competitions on chess. There is one for everybody and, in big competitions, another one only for women, so women can choose which one they want to play. For example the best woman player of all time, Judit Polgar, only plays (or played) in mixed tournaments. Women-only competitions exist to promote the sport among women, because if they didn't exist the competitions would have 98 men and 2 women. If you are a top woman player you'll be playing against men 95% of the times.

This makes sense and thank you for the explanation.

 

Though if the whole purpose of women tournaments is to promote chess among an underrepresented group…this ban seems odd.  

[Fitzswiftie]

They really do hate trans folks don’t they. Like at least some physical competition one could see their argument, this is petty, transphobic and misogynistic on the same way the terf reaction to trans woman winning Jeopardy and a Golden Globe were.

[Tylerbv]

21 minutes ago, loveisdead9582 said:

… wtf? I kind of understand some of the mental gymnastics of banning trans athletes in certain sports but how the hell does this make sense? Chess relies on brain power - clearly something that these people don’t have enough of. 

This is basically how I feel too. Although I might not fully agree, I understand the viewpoint of not letting trans women into physical sports.. but chess? If they can identify one male puberty aspect that makes AMAB people better at chess, I’d love to hear it

[Gwendolyn]

What advantage do trans women have in chess? This isn't sports where you need to take into consideration body structure etc?

[tshwark]

Mixed tournaments always existed, even in schools, however I don't see anything wrong in trans women competing against each other, it gives exposure, after all what is exactly to be a woman, wear pink, play with dolls, long hair, there's no need to cling to a gender. 

[Cruel Summer]

After some digging, this doesn’t seem to be based on any evidence that trans women have a biological advantage and seems rooted solely in transphobia. A 2009 research paper indicated that 96% of the difference in ranking/performance between men and women in chess is due to how many more men play chess than women, and I’ve found no evidence that the consensus on that matter has changed. Women’s chess events have the express purpose of trying to encourage greater participation in chess - not a purpose of segregating based on innate differences in ability. This is explicitly predicated upon the assumption that trans women don’t count as women, which is a perspective that should be pushed back against vocally.

[byzantium]

2 minutes ago, Cruel Summer said:

After some digging, this doesn’t seem to be based on any evidence that trans women have a biological advantage and seems rooted solely in transphobia. A 2009 research paper indicated that 96% of the difference in ranking/performance between men and women in chess is due to how many more men play chess than women, and I’ve found no evidence that the consensus on that matter has changed. Women’s chess events have the express purpose of trying to encourage greater participation in chess - not a purpose of segregating based on innate differences in ability. This is explicitly predicated upon the assumption that trans women don’t count as women, which is a perspective that should be pushed back against vocally.

Exactly.  The issue here is that people don’t acknowledge that trans people exists. I generally thing this is the major feeling underlying most of these sports “debates” but it’s undeniable here.  

[NEX]

Why are there gendered categories in the first place?

[Headlock]

1 hour ago, State of Grace. said:

 

So you're telling me the anti-trans fools are also....anti-women? But I thought their transphobic attacks are meant to protect women?  

Oop