Black king takes black queen
Men self-identifying as women, and dominating their opponents in sporting competitions, is an ongoing controversy. It's widely accepted, by anyone with a modicum of knowledge and absence of emotional fragility, that boys and girls develop differently during puberty. Consequently, men who later think they're women have physical advantages over real women who've been women all their lives.
Male domination over truly female competitors isn't limited to physical development, however, as recently demonstrated by Stanley Omondi. Disguised in a head-to-toe burka, the Kenyan chess player registered himself as a woman to play in a women's chess tournament. He raised suspicions with his less-than-feminine footwear, and less-than-womanly reticence to converse; but what really gave him away was his performance, beating strong women players.
Omondi is a known chess player, but Wanjala believes he thought his odds would be better in the women's category given the higher standard of play in the men's part of the tournament.
Celestine Karoney, BBC Sport Africa
Rumours that the International Chess Federation is considering restrictions on men, who transitioned after the onset of puberty, from competing in women's tournaments begin here!
I called it four months ago, and now rumour becomes fact: FIDE has temporarily banned transgender women from competing in its women's events. Needless to say it's not gone down too well.
UK MP Angela Eagle, who was a joint winner of the 1976 British Girls' Under-18 chess championship, said: "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." "This ban is ridiculous and offensive to women," she added.
I have no idea whether there's any empirical data to support the view that men are inherently better chess players than women. If there is a difference, it could be related to androgenic patterning in the brain during early development. I seem to recall studies showing that the sexes take different approaches to problem solving. If so, that could underlie a gender difference in chess prowess. Dunno, just spitballing here. (shrug)
Since FIDE clearly reads this blog, perhaps they could run some tournaments pitting men and women of similar ranking against each other. But I can't honestly say I care either way, chess is just one of those meh!
things that's a thing. I can play the game, but I'm shit at it; I know the moves and how to lose. That's about it.
All that notwithstanding, the most interesting revelations in the article are that the International Olympic Committee considers chess to be a sport without sweat; and women at the top of the game are called grandmasters, the same as men, not grandmistresses or grandmadams. That's gotta be because PaTRiArchY, right?
What the droid fails to note is that, as a dyke, Dame Angela Eagle is a member not only of parliament but also of the rainbow mafia. So she's simply sticking up for her trannie sisters brothers brosters here. (trannie)