Who can play Chess?

[Salty]

World chess federation bars transgender women from competing in women's events

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

World chess federation bars transgender women from competing in women's events

OMG! Why does it matter?

 

[Deacon]

OMG! Why does it matter?

It matters!
Men outperform women in the game.
There are very few women grandmasters.
The number of women playing the game is very low.
There are tournaments devoted to attracting women to the ‘sport’.

Rob

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Why does it matter?

Women are generally less good at chess than men.
Chess tournaments and the World Championship are open to both men and women, but there is also a Women's World Championship. The Hungarian woman Judit Polgar is generally considered to be the strongest female player ever, and she decided only ever to play in open events. Good as she was, she never got within striking distance of the World Championship.

So a male player at Grandmaster level, but not World Championship level, could declare himself female and have a good chance of becoming women's world champ.

 

[KenH]

I used to play in chess tournaments back around the turn of the century. Someone working at the local newspaper started a chess club. Had a lot of fun. Still have the bunch of chess books that bought back then. I got into dog agility, so chess had to go.

 

[kyredneck]

OMG! Why does it matter?

Men are better at abstract reasoning than women.