‘Unfair, exclusive, and discriminatory’, World Chess body faces backlash over new regulations on transgender players
Transwoman chess player and coach Yosha Iglesias outrightly criticised FIDE's new rules as "anti-trans regulations"
Transwoman chess player and coach Yosha Iglesias is miffed by FIDE's new regulations regarding "Transgender Chess Players’ Registration on FIDE Directory". She took to social media platform "X"(formerly Twitter) on Thursday and Tuesday and expressed her anger and disappointment at the new rules. Iglesias outrightly criticised it as "anti-trans regulations" and even expressed doubts over being allowed to participate in some upcoming chess tournaments she is interested in.
"So FIDE just published (yesterday) a list of anti-trans regulations, like it was “the biggest threat of women in chess”"
"Can someone tell me what qualifies as an official FIDE event? Will I be allowed to play the French Championship in 3 days? The European Club Cup in September?," wrote Iglesias.
Iglesias also alleged that the new regulations by FIDE are against the guidelines of International Olympic Committee(IOC).
She tweeted: "These regulations are also totally against the IOC guidelines that FIDE is required to respect. FIDE’s boss asks 3 things regarding trans people: fairness, inclusion, and non-discrimination. FIDE new regulations are unfair, exclusive, and discriminatory."
Notably, FIDE has released new regulations for the registration of transgender chess players on its directory. The new regulations also contain directions in case a player wishes to obtain a new FIDE ID number (FIN) after gender change.
"Upon change of the gender in FIDE system, the National Rating Officer should require from the player sufficient proof of a gender change that complies with their national laws and regulations," reads one clause in the new regulations.
The new regulations also discuss about the impact on titles and ratings of players after they undergo gender change. One clause in the new regulations allows FIDE to mark transgender players in its directory.
"Also FIDE has the right to make an appropriate mark in the Players’ database and/or use other measures to inform organizers on a player being a transgender, so that to prevent them from possible illegitimate enrollments in tournaments," reads the new rule.
The new regulations also outlines that if a male changes gender to a female, "the player has no right to participate in official FIDE events for women until further FIDE’s decision is made. Such decision should be based on further analysis and shall be taken by the FIDE Council at the earliest possible time, but not longer than within 2 (two) years period. There are no restrictions to play in the open section for a person who has changed the gender".