• The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has released new policies banning transgender players from women’s events and stripping some trans women of their titles. The new rules will remain until “further analysis” is conducted, which could last two years. Washington Post (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• FIDE says it will only recognize an individual’s gender identity “consistent with the identity they maintain in their non chess life AND that has been confirmed by national authorities based on a due legal and formal process of change.” International Chess Federation (FIDE)
• This doesn’t mean trans players won’t be able to compete at all, but they must provide “sufficient proof of a gender change that complies with their national laws and regulations.” Furthermore, any player holding either a men’s or women’s title before transitioning will have their title “abolished.” Forbes (LR: 3 CP: 5)
• Under the new policies, any transgender men who won titles in pre-transition women’s tournaments will be stripped of those achievements, and the “abolished women title may be transferred into a general title of the same or lower level.” Independent (LR: 2 CP: 3)
• FIDE also said that while it won’t discuss a player’s gender change publicly, it holds the right to “inform the organizers and other relevant parties on the gender change.” CNN (LR: 2 CP: 5)
• Meanwhile, FIDE has stated that “transgender players are allowed to participate in the open section of the official FIDE chess tournaments.” NBC (LR: 2 CP: 4)

Left narrative:

• Since the game of chess has nothing to do with one’s physicality, FIDE is unable to hide behind the overused excuse of unfair athletic performance, suggesting that this decision really stems from an anti-trans mindset. In one fell swoop, FIDE has persecuted the trans community and patronized women by suggesting they’re intellectually inferior to men. Chess is a game for everyone to enjoy equally, but the professional levels have yet to recognize that fact.
  Outsports

Right narrative:

• What critics won’t tell you is that women already have a choice between competing in the general chess competitions, which are male-dominated, or in the women’s tournaments, which are all female. The reason for this isn’t that there aren’t women in the elite category — although there are very few — but rather to offer women a higher chance of placing in a tournament. FIDE already had an inclusive and fair system underway, so this is nothing more than biological men trying to invade a female-only space.
  Wegochess.com

Nerd narrative:

• There’s a 50% chance that the first female will win the World Chess Championship by 2110, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
  Metaculus (LR: 3 CP: 3)