We at World Chess think that game has the ability to bring people from a variety of origins, ideologies, and personalities together. We feel compelled to express our position on this crucial matter in light of the recent FIDE legislation regarding transgender players, which has sparked significant discussions within the game community.
We support the participation of transgender people in the games game as well as the protection of their rights. Chess is fundamentally a game of cunning, planning, and perseverance that transcends real limitations. Anyone, regardless of gender identity, deserves the chance to participate in this intellectual game, develop, and succeed, in our opinion.
In the absence of a thorough examination, the choice to forbid transgender women from taking part in female-only events raises serious questions about inclusivity and fairness. We emphasize the significance of approaching this issue with emotion, equality, and regard for individual rights while acknowledging the difficulty of ensuring dynamic fairness across all categories of play.
The implications of FIDE’s plan for transgender players demoralize us because they could put them in a situation where they have to decide between their personality and their love of chess. This disregards the mental and emotional well-being of those who are affected by these restrictions in addition to going against the spirit of equality.
In light of these changes, World Chess makes the following commitments:
- Calling for laws that encourage acceptance and appreciation for all players, including transgender people, in game competitions and activities around the world.
- Working with trans game participants, experts, and advocacy organizations to make sure that their opinions and needs are taken into account when creating rules that restrict their ability to play the game.
- In order to establish inclusive and equitable rules for games, it is important to support initiatives and research that aims to understand how sex identity affects competitive fairness.
Chess has a special talent for bringing people together and requiring us to consider the world around us as well as the activity we are playing.
