It’s one thing to ban trans women from competing in the more physically demanding sports. I don’t agree with that (because if they take their hormones, they have the side effect of balancing out many of the imbalances that come from going through a male puberty), but at least I can see where they’re coming from.

Last time I checked, there’s nothing inherent in the game of chess that gives trans women an edge.

(August 18, 2023 at 2:11 pm)Rev. Rye Wrote:

It’s one thing to ban trans women from competing in the more physically demanding sports. I don’t agree with that (because if they take their hormones, they have the side effect of balancing out many of the imbalances that come from going through a male puberty), but at least I can see where they’re coming from.

Last time I checked, there’s nothing inherent in the game of chess that gives trans women an edge.

You've clearly never played Full Contact Chess.

Boru

Now I know why I was never good at chess. No penis. Bummer. Wonder what I don't know about Peggy who always beat me. hmmmm

(August 18, 2023 at 2:49 pm)arewethereyet Wrote: Now I know why I was never good at chess.  No penis.  Bummer.  Wonder what I don't know about Peggy who always beat me.  hmmmm

I play so badly, I gave it up years ago. I still manage to have fun with it though. I’ll sometimes see people playing chess in the local park or at an outdoor cafe. I walk up to their table and say something like, ‘Huh - mate in five.’ and walk away.

Boru

Aside from the fact that chess is filled with transphobes and sexists (just spend some time on the chess.com forums), the issue here seems to me to be purely transphobia.

Chess has open competition (any gender plays) and women only competition. And the women only competition (and the women only master titles) came into existence purely because so many women were being harassed my men (pretty much every top female chess player has stories of abuse and sexism etc). So the women's only events are basically a place for women to escape from the bad behaviour of men.

By them now saying that transwomen can't enter those safe places frommale sexist harassment, it seems they're saying that transwomen would make the event not safe for womenand would act like the sexust men. That's pretty bloody transphobic.

The other influence might be that chess is a big game in Russia and the Middle East.

If Russia and the Middle East were an issue, you’d think they’d ban people from the rest of the LGBTQ spectrum.

(August 18, 2023 at 3:48 pm)Rev. Rye Wrote: If Russia and the Middle East were an issue, you’d think they’d ban people from the rest of the LGBTQ spectrum.

When you sign up for these chess competitions do you have to take a lie detector test?  "Are you now or have you ever been attracted to members of the same sex?"

What's next, you have to tell them your favorite color?

@Rev. Rye
I'm sure many would like that. But chess is also bug in the US, and thatnwoukd be a step.too far. But trans, well, they're an easy target at present.

my favourite colour is deep infra red