The International Chess Federation said those who transition to female have “no right” to compete in women’s events until “further analysis.”
Topline
The International Chess Federation—the international governing body for chess—unveiled new policies that prohibit transgender women from competing in women’s events, as sports like swimming and cycling move forward with similar regulations restricting transgender athletes.Key Facts
The FIDE said any player who has transitioned from male to female “has no right” to participate in official events for women until “further analysis” by the federation, which noted a process to analyze individual cases could take up to two years.
The policies—which take effect next week—require transgender players to provide “sufficient proof of a gender change that complies with their national laws and regulations.”
Any player holding either a women’s or men’s tournament title who subsequently transitioned will have their titles “abolished,” the federation said, though it would consider reinstatement “if the person changes the gender back to a woman.”
While the FIDE indicated it would not publicly discuss the player’s gender change, it said it “has the right” to inform competition organizers “and other relevant parties” about the player being transgender in an effort to “prevent them from possible illegitimate enrollments in tournaments.
