The international governing body for chess, the International Chess Federation (known by its French acronym, FIDE), has placed a temporary ban on transgender women competing in women’s events.
FIDE said that the issue needed ‘further analysis’ and could possibly only be resolved in the next two years.
It added that transgender women could still compete in the ‘open’ section of chess events.
A number of sporting bodies have in recent months banned transwomen from participating in women’s events but critics say that chess is not comparable, as there is not a physical component.
The BBC quoted FIDE as saying: ‘The transgender legislation is rapidly developing in many countries and many sport bodies are adopting their own policies. FIDE will be monitoring these developments and see how we can apply them to the world of chess. Two years is a scope of sight that seemed reasonable for the thorough analyses of such developments.’
A British MP, Angela Eagle, who had been a chess champion in her youth, said: ‘There is no physical advantage in chess unless you believe men are inherently more able to play than women – I spent my chess career being told women’s brains were smaller than men’s and we shouldn’t even be playing. This ban is ridiculous and offensive to women.’
There has been speculation by some that males do better in chess because men are better at spatial reasoning than women.