The International Chess Federation (Fide) has announced that transgender players will be temporarily suspended from the female categories of its tournaments, effective Monday and pending the introduction of new regulations that could take up to two years.
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” In the case of a gender transition from male to female, the player is not allowed to participate in women’s events, until a new decision by Fide is made. “, said in a press release the organization based in Lausanne. This decision will be made within two years “. In the meantime, Fide specifies that there is ” no restrictions to play in the open section for a person who has changed gender “.
In addition, the measure does not apply to transgender men who compete in the male categories, but they will be stripped, according to the temporary regulations, of the women’s titles won before their transition. According to Fide, the change of sex has a significant impact on a player’s status and future tournament eligibility “, without providing further details on his motivations.
Player reviews
This announcement drew criticism from transgender players. ” I don’t think I’m smarter than most cis women, nor do I think my pre-transition years gave me an innate edge at chess. “, reacted the journalist and transgender chess player Ana Valens in an article published on the site The Mary Sue.
In the world of sport, the International Cycling Union (UCI), World Athletics and the International Swimming Federation have also taken steps to keep transgender athletes out of women’s competitions.
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(With AFP)