World Chess Federation has barred trans people from its tournaments

'I spent my chess career being told women's brains were smaller'

'We are opposed to it because it is discriminatory'

The biggest challenge outside the field?

'Until future analysis'

The World Chess Federation, known by its French acronym FIDE, has declared that it ban trans women from competing in women’s chess competitions until “future analysis” could be made by the organization.

Trans people barred up for two years

According to The New York Times, it could take up to two years for FIDE to reach a decision about trans people participating in their tournaments.

Not exactly a Queen's Gambit

“Change of gender is a change that has a significant impact on a player’s status and future eligibility to tournaments, therefore it can only be made if there is a relevant proof of the change provided,” the federation stated.

Only focused on trans women

Interesting enough, no word is mentioned in the FIDE communiqué about transgender men, except that any previous women’s titles would be abolished.

Image: @grstocks / Unsplash

Lukewarm reception, to say the least

Transgender chess players of any identity can still play in open tournaments. Nonetheless, the new policy has been criticized by transgender activists and veteran chess players alike.

A British MP who knows her game

British Labour politician Angela Eagle, who currently serves as an MP in Parliament and was a joint winner of the 1976 British Girls' Under-18 chess championship, spoke against the FIDE’s decision.

'I spent my chess career being told women's brains were smaller'

“There is no physical advantage in chess unless you believe men are inherently more able to play than women. I spent my chess career being told women's brains were smaller than men's and we shouldn't even be playing”, Eagle declared, as quoted by the BBC.

'We are opposed to it because it is discriminatory'

“We are opposed to it because it is discriminatory,” Malcolm Pein, the director of international chess at the English Chess Federation, to The Guardian.

Pictured: Pein (left) in a 2023 charity event in London

Trans panic

Meanwhile, on social media, LGBT activists and allies have taken the FIDE’s ruling as the most extreme example of the ongoing panic about trans women participating in sports.

The biggest challenge outside the field?

As NPR highlights, international organizations for rugby, swimming, and track and field have prohibited the participation of trans women in the past years.

No justification

Cathy Renna, communications director for the National LGBTQ Task Force in the United States, lashed out to Associated Press to what she labelled as “a case of ‘trans panic’ with no justification, not grounded in reality and once again marginalizing trans people.”

Image: @dels / unsplash