Transgender chess decision: New Fide rules criticised by players but welcomed by committee chair

Transgender women participating in female sports have been the subject of news stories and intense debate for a number of years.

The governing bodies of several sports - most recently including cricket - have chosen to ban trans women from female competition on the grounds of safety and physical advantage.

But while these concerns would seemingly not apply to chess - a sport in which mental fitness is more relevant than supposed physical differences - the International Chess Federation (Fide) has chosen to ban trans women from female-only events.

Why has this happened? It's a complicated picture involving Russia, anonymous complaints and the sport's lone top-level trans female player.

In August,, external Fide introduced a ban on trans women competing in female-only events. Chess has an open category and female-only competitions.

According to Fide, gender reassignment "has a significant impact on a player's status and future eligibility for tournaments".

"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 a further decision is made," its statement reads.

"Such decisions should be based on further analysis and shall be taken by the Fide Council at the earliest possible time, but not longer than within a two-year period."

When asked by BBC Sport for an explanation as to what this further analysis entailed, Fide said it planned to do a "comprehensive analysis to understand the impact of various factors, including but not limited to, the role of testosterone levels, on chess performance".

Fide also said any titles won by transgender men in the female category would no longer stand. Any titles won in open events by trans women, before gender reassignment and a move into different gender category, still stand.

Asked by BBC Sport if there had been any cases of this happening, Fide confirmed "there have been no ed instances of women's titles being revoked as a result of gender changes".

The rules give Fide "the right to inform the organisers [of competitions] and other relevant parties on the gender change" and "to make an appropriate mark in the players' database and/or use other measures to inform organisers on a player being transgender, to prevent them from possible illegitimate enrolments in tournaments".

A spokesperson for the organisation told BBC Sport "the absence of such regulations created ambiguity and an established procedure was needed to ensure transgender players are properly represented in Fide's ".

It also said "these limitations apply to a very limited number of tournaments, specifically official Fide women's events" and that "approximately 99% of all national, regional, and international open and women events remain open to transgender players".

The rules have been heavily criticised by notable female chess players including Jennifer Shahade - Fide woman grandmaster and two-time US women's champion.

"The rules have had a really upsetting effect on the chess community," Shahade told BBC Sport. "They seem very cruel.

"The practical ramifications, I'm not sure of yet, but they will have an effect on the LGBT community - people saying even if they are unlikely to qualify for events, it makes them want to play chess less.

"All these requirements around ID... a two-year decision period is a long time - if you are at the peak of your sport it is an eternity.

"The reason these policies come out is that people really believe players will pretend to be women to win events and take prize money. But a lot of these policies have been in effect for 10 years. Why has it not happened yet?

"People really are paranoid that it will ruin women's chess, that it will dissolve and sponsors will leave. The antidote is talking to actual trans players."

Yosha Iglesias was granted the rank of Fide master in 2019 and, in 5,425th place, is the highest-ranked player in the female category who is out as transgender. She says Fide did not consult her or any other trans people associated with chess that she has spoken to.

"They have self-attributed the right to out any trans player at any time to any organisation," she tells BBC Sport. "I don't really care because I'm out, but it could put lives in danger.

"If a trans player was stealth [had not disclosed their trans identity] and playing in a country where being LGBT is illegal or dangerous, if Fide decide to out you, it could be life-threatening."

Chess federations have also criticised the move.

"The new Fide rules are incompatible with English law, particularly with regard to the release of personal data," an English Chess Federation (ECF) statement read., external "We cannot see the point of the two-year suspension of the right to participate in women-only competitions, which we view as discriminatory."

United States Chess Federation (USCF) senior director of strategic communication Daniel Lucas told The Messenger:, external "While we do take Fide policies into consideration, we independently establish our own policies and procedures."

The starkest criticism came from Jean-Baptiste Mullon - vice-president of French Chess Federation (FFE) - who told Liberation:, external "This Fide press release is a poorly written and even transphobic text."

Iglesias - the only transgender player currently ranked as a master by Fide - was flying to Albania for her first chess tournament outside western Europe since coming out in 2021 when she first heard about an issue.

"On the plane to the Euro Chess Union tournament, an official told me that one grandmaster wrote an official letter demanding that I should be banned," Iglesias said.

While individual national committees can have their own policies on gender inclusion for tournaments they run, this ban would apply for events organised by Fide, including the World Championship, European Championship and most of chess' prestigious competitions.

This has left Iglesias and other trans players feeling they have no place in the sport.

"They met and decided to include me. Some officials in Eastern Europe were pro-ban but most were against," said the French player, referring to the Albanian tournament organising committee's decision, which came before the letter calling for her to be excluded.

"Still, it's scary. Sometimes I feel like I have this weight on my shoulders because these laws are made for all trans players, but I am the only one. I always have to be perfect.

"That letter, was it against me or just against trans players">