The International Chess Federation (FIDE) released guidelines which prevent self-identified transgender women from competing in the women’s division. Russia praised the new policies, while the English Chess Federation, German Chess Federation, the French Chess Federation, and United States Chess Federation expressed disapproval.
FIDE, founded in 1924, regulates all international chess competitions and administers a rating system for players. FIDE introduced the guidelines because it has a received an influx of “recognition requests” from self-identified transgender individuals. FIDE ruled that “change of gender is a change that has a significant impact on a player’s status” and announced a process to evaluate requests to change a player’s registered gender identity.
“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,” the new guidelines state, adding that “further analysis” would not exceed two years. There are no restrictions on transgender individuals competing in the “open” divisions, in which men and women compete against one another.
FIDE, headquartered in Switzerland, awards various titles to chess players, including the lifelong “grandmaster” title. A 2022 report found that women are 2 percent of recognized grandmasters. Additionally, FIDE awards female-only titles, such as the “Woman Candidate Master,” “Woman FIDE Master,” “Woman International Master,” and “Woman Grandmaster,” which require lower player ratings.
“If a player holds any of the women titles, but the gender has been changed to a man, the women titles are to be abolished,” the guidelines continue. “If a player has changed the gender from a man into a woman, all the previous titles remain eligible.”
A Russian politician expressed support for the new guidelines.
“There are no reasons at all for transgender people to compete among other athletes based on common grounds,” Russia’s Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports Dmitry Svishchev said. “Besides a possible [physical] advantage there is a number of moral and ethical aspects, which may become unbearable for an ordinary athlete.”
“It is unacceptable and I recommend all international federations against allowing transgender athletes competing on par with others. Separate tournaments for such athletes must be organized,” Svishchev continued.
FIDE’s new policies apply to qualifying events for the World Cup and World Team Championships, as well as competitions under the umbrella of the Global Strategy Commission or Events Commission.
Chess federations have condemned FIDE’s guidelines and will permit gender self-identification in domestic competitions.
“We do not exclude trans women and this position will not change, despite FIDE’s new policy,” the English Chess Federation said in a statement.
“The new FIDE rules are incompatible with English law, particularly with regard to the release of personal data. We cannot see the point of the two-year suspension of the right to participate in women-only competitions, which we view as discriminatory,” the English Chess Federation added.
The vice president of the French Chess Federation suggested in an interview that he will not apply the new regulations to national competitions.
“The German Chess Federation (DSB) has a clear position: we do not exclude trans women,” the German Chess Federation wrote in a statement. “In Germany, a trans woman already became German Champion in the 2000s and trans women will of course be allowed to participate in all German tournaments for women in the future.”
The German Chess Federation also raised “serious concerns” about the legality of FIDE’s new policies.
“If a person is legally recognized as a woman, it is incomprehensible to us what FIDE still wants to check and why it needs two years for this — as stipulated in the new rules,” the German Chess Federation continued.
The United States Chess Federation maintains its 2018 guidelines for transgender competitors, which allow gender self-identification in U.S. chess events.
“US Chess will recognize an individual’s gender identity that is consistent with the identity they maintain in their non- chess life (e.g. family, social, professional). Changing a gender simply to compete in a special section or single gender event is against the intent and spirit of this policy,” reads the United States Chess Federation’s policy.