The International Chess Federation, also known by its French acronym, FIDE, announced that transgender women will be barred from competing in women’s events until the time a proper assessment of gender change is conducted.
FIDE, which hosts the World Chess Championship and is recognized as the world’s top chess federation, has been inundated with requests from players identifying as transgender, according to a report.
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The body said the participation of such players against women would not occur until their individual case is analyzed, which could require up to a two-year period, the report noted.
“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,” according to FIDE.
“In the event that the gender was changed from a male to a female the player has no right to participate in official FIDE events for women until further FIDE’s decision is made.”
If a current women’s title holder begins to identify as male, her title would be “abolished,” and reinstatement would be possible “if the person changes the gender back to a woman.”
“If a player has changed the gender from a man into a woman, all the previous titles remain eligible,” FIDE said.
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The federation did acknowledge that the question of transgender chess players is an “evolving issue for chess” and “further policy may need to be evolved in the future in line with research evidence.”
Open competitions are held by FIDE that allow for all players to participate, the report noted.
