FIDE declares 2022 the year of the woman in chess

by ChessBase
1/19/2022 – The International Chess Federation has declared 2022 the Year of the Woman in Chess. According to the FIDE Women’s Commision, this is a chance to take a leap forward in their mission of forming gender equity policies, practices and programs. | Pictured: Eva Repkova / Chair of FIDE Women’s Commission

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A manifesto

Press release by FIDE

The Commission for Women’s Chess is truly grateful to the FIDE President Mr Arkady Dvorkovich, the FIDE Council and the Management for their decision to have declared 2022 the Year of the Woman in Chess.

This is our chance to take a leap forward in our mission of forming gender equity policies, practices and programs. In recent years, we have achieved a number of long-lasting strategic goals, from encouraging women to actively participate in all aspects of chess life by offering them free educational seminars to implementing gender quotas for various official positions and assignments.

While our colleagues have worked tirelessly to provide better conditions for top female players and to greatly increase the prize funds, our commission has focused on connecting, inspiring and educating female players of all backgrounds from around the world. Last year we organised The Queens' Festival 2021, a series of continental and global tournaments with over 460 participants from 82 countries. Many thousands more followed the side events featuring female role model guests and presenters on FIDE social media.

Creating a strong women chess community is very important for us to continue pursuing our goals and representing the interests of women in chess.

To follow in this spirit, throughout this Year of Woman in Chess, we are planning the following events and collaborations to make this an epic year for women:

  1. To establish a yearly award for women in various categories.
  2. To increase communication with national federations on the importance of nominating an “Ambassador for Women” in their country and encouraging them to organise support programs for women and girls.
  3. To organise “Global Exchange Forums” to share ideas that will improve the environment for women in chess.
  4. To create the “Queens Pavilion” during the Chess Olympiad 2022 in Moscow.
  5. To strengthen the collaboration with other FIDE commissions to support women's participation in all aspects of chess life, even more intensely for this special year.
  6. The “Queens Festival” was very successfully organised for the first time in 2021. The plan for 2022 is to expand it with various exciting side events and more countries participating.
  7. Inspirational female role models will be featured weekly through the different FIDE channels: social media, a relaunched newsletter, and a newly created podcast.

There are also other plans for the Year of the Woman in Chess.

We would also like to hear and promote your initiatives and ideas. Please email us your stories, suggestions and pictures to women@fide.com, and share your initiatives online using the hashtag #womeninchess.

With your help and support, we can make this an outstanding and game-changer year!

Eva Repkova
Chair of FIDE Women’s Commission


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e-mars e-mars 1/23/2022 12:09
@Leavenfish prize funds are not limitless. if you artificially bump prize fund for women-only competitions somehow, completely devoid of merit - because it's based on their gender not on the their strength - you damage the prize fund for the open (and I said "open", not "men-only")
same argument popped up in tennis with women players demanding higher prizes:men replied "well, ok, play 5 sets instead of 3 like men then..." a very valid point
same argument you can apply it in chess: "well, ok, do you want higher prizes? get a better, higher rating then..."
Leavenfish Leavenfish 1/22/2022 06:05
Lots of the top female players indeed DO play in these. These tournaments are great for them as it offers them chances to continue to make a living at chess while they get better. It is therefore a good thing for them.

Now, below the top levels...'female only' tourneys are indeed rare.
'
Either way, they can always play in open tourneys if they so choose. So, all this...'mansplaining' about what is 'good for women', is a sad commentary on the men who seem compelled to jump into and criticize something that does NOT even involve them.
Mamack1 Mamack1 1/21/2022 03:47
Very few women play just/mainly in women-only events these days, something that never used to be the case.

So to a significant extent, this is a fuss about nothing. As long as *most* women want to keep some women-only chess (and yes, they do) let them be the best judge of that.
IntensityInsanity IntensityInsanity 1/21/2022 05:28
Well said, Genem!
chessbibliophile chessbibliophile 1/21/2022 03:28
Female players have to take a principled stand and play in common events. Then the discrimination would come to an end. For all that is said and and done, chess is no more difficult than scientific fields in which women excel as well as men.
genem genem 1/20/2022 11:15
As long as advertisers and the public see value, such as entertainment value or other kinds, women-only events will and should continue to flourish.

** Two Separate Questions Are Confusingly Comingled: **

1. First, should FIDE continue to hold women-only events?
Answer is clearly Yes.

2. Second, should FIDE have separate achievement level titles for women?
Hard to see any real harm in these titles.
Arguments against such titles, based on principle only, need to add a practical element to have a chance of being persuasive.
fede666 fede666 1/20/2022 07:25
look it is a non-issue...most chess players want to see top players play..Carlen, Firo, Caruana...the first woman on the world list is number 150 or something...so no interest in general...
Leavenfish Leavenfish 1/20/2022 06:51
Here is the deal, geniuses - women CAN play if OPEN tourneys if they so wish. The only way to make enough money and stay as a player for most is to play in these Women's only tourneys. So...don't second guess them. It's not a thing for YOU to be concerned with. As I said, "It's a bit telling" that you feel the need to tell women what THEY should be doing.
e-mars e-mars 1/20/2022 06:51
@fede666 same happens for men
if you are not good at chess you quit or keep it as a hobby and find some other job. Chess is not compulsory for human race survival, it is not recommended or forced by social constraints, it's free choice.
The only way to see a female world champion is abolishing this discriminatory separation.
Let alone, mark my words, give it some time and we are going to see popping up new controversies around genderless competitions.
jenyes jenyes 1/20/2022 01:05
I agree with the general opinion of the contents. While the game may not be marketed towards a female audience, there is no basis for a sex divide in terms of ability or potential. This separation has been around since the beginning. If we really want to make progress, knock the walls down!
fede666 fede666 1/20/2022 10:59
they have different categories so that women can win some tournaments and make some money...otherwise statistics show that in open tournaments they would end up at the bottom of the table and quit chess...
AlexeyIgorevichRatchkov AlexeyIgorevichRatchkov 1/20/2022 07:07
Here come the males, white knighting on the behalf of the ladies and inserting their useless, completely uninformed opinions into the mix, voicing their outrage at how unfairly the women are treated. How about shutting up for a bit and letting the women speak, instead?
Leavenfish Leavenfish 1/20/2022 05:34
It is always sad...and a bit telling, when males feel they know what is best for women. Full stop.
KrushonIrina KrushonIrina 1/20/2022 05:17
Agreed. Stop pandering.
chessgod0 chessgod0 1/20/2022 04:32
"1900 clubplayer is a WGM".

You have to be 2300 FIDE to get WGM.
Theochessman Theochessman 1/20/2022 04:14
The seperate women titles are absolutely bollocks.
1900 clubplayer is a WGM.
If FIDE really wants to declare 2022 as the year of woman in chess, then it's time to abandon seperate events and titles.
pedrito77 pedrito77 1/20/2022 02:12
categories for women in chess are an insult to women.
Bungle Bungle 1/20/2022 01:52
More sexism. Can't just treat women the same.
Dondoctor Dondoctor 1/20/2022 01:49
Judith Polgar, showed everyone the way. No different competitions, she never played in her entire career tournaments only with women. That´s the solution, only playing with strong oponents a chess player can improve.
If Fide doesn´t stop separate tournaments, we´ll never see a lot of women in top 100. This is a fact, Judith has prove it.
e-mars e-mars 1/20/2022 12:15
This is how disparity is strengthened. Bigger prizes based on gender and not on meritocracy ? This is not gender equality.
Gender equality means abolishing women titles and closed competitions.

I suspect that behind there is some woke movement propaganda, as if the world hasn't seen much fanaticism enough, and with all those SJW out there, this is really really disconcerting.
chessgod0 chessgod0 1/19/2022 11:13
**yawn**
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