World chess federation bars transgender players from women's events

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced a temporary prohibition on transgender women's participation in its sanctioned women's events, pending a comprehensive examination of ongoing developments. This evaluation is anticipated to span a period of up to two years.
Recently sanctioned by FIDE's council, the freshly established rules are set to be enforced from August 21 onwards.Under these regulations, transgender players are mandated to furnish "convincing evidence of a gender transition that aligns with the legal stipulations of their respective nations."
"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 federation said.
"FIDE recognizes that this is an evolving issue for chess and that besides technical regulations on transgender regulations further policy may need to be evolved in the future in line with research evidence," the federation said.
In an emailed statement to Reuters on Thursday, a FIDE spokesperson said the decision was made to better define the processes involved when a player changes gender.

"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," the statement said.
"Two years is a scope of sight that seemed reasonable for the thorough analyses of such developments. It is to set a certain deadline for a new reiteration of these policies, without rushing it."
Transgender players can still compete in the "open" categories of tournaments, it added.
Most chess competitions are open to all players, with the exception of a few tournaments such as the Women's World Championship.
Governing bodies for sports including cycling, athletics and swimming have tightened their participation rules for transgender women in elite female competitions.
(With inputs from Reuters)