Female chess players threaten boycott after being told to we

[Sean Evans]

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world ... ip-in-iran

The world’s top female chess players reacted with horror Thursday after being told they must compete at next year’s world championship wearing a hijab.

Within hours of Iran being announced as the host country, the event was plunged into crisis as it emerged that players taking part face arrest if they do not cover up.

Grandmasters lined up to say they would boycott the 64-player tournament and accused FIDE, the game’s scandal-hit governing body, of failing to stand up for women’s rights.

FIDE officials, meanwhile, called on participants to respect “cultural differences” and accept the regulations.

Hijabs have been mandatory for women in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the law is enforced by the country’s “morality police.”

Players claim that FIDE is turning a blind eye to sexual discrimination. Nazi Paikidze, the U.S. women’s champion, said: “It is absolutely unacceptable to host one of the most important women’s tournaments in a venue where, to this day, women are forced to cover up with a hijab.

Paikidze added: “I am honoured and proud to have qualified to represent the United States in the Women’s World Championship. But, if the situation remains unchanged, I will most certainly not participate in this event.”

The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning about travelling to Iran, saying citizens risk being unjustly imprisoned or kidnapped.

Carla Heredia, an Ecuadorean former Pan American champion, added: “No institution, no government, nor a Women’s World Chess Championship should force women to wear or to take out a hijab.

“This violates all what sports means. Sport should be free of discrimination by sex, religion and sexual orientation.”


@nigelshortchess It's very upsetting that I have to miss my first Women's World Championship. For many reasons. https://t.co/eGS64dK1Y5
—
Nazi Paikidze-Barnes (@NaziPaiki) September 27, 2016.
FIDE held a smaller Grand Prix event in Iran earlier this year where, The Daily Telegraph understands, several players were left angry about being forced to wear the headscarf.

Nigel Short, the British former world title contender, said: “There are people from all sorts of backgrounds going to this … If you are deeply Christian why would you want to wear a symbol of Islam’s oppression of women?”

Susan Polgar, the chairman of FIDE’s commission on women’s chess, defended the federation, saying that women should respect “cultural differences”.

FIDE is already reeling after its president, the eccentric multi-millionaire Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, was placed on a U.S. sanctions list for alleged business dealings with the Syrian regime.

Ilyumzhinov has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The Daily Telegraph tried to contact FIDE, but the federation has not responded.

[Luis Babboni]

Mmmmm.....in other countries you could not participate in chess champs nude for example.

I´m not saying Iran´s rules are good, in fact I think are middle ages´s, I´m saying other countries rules are not essentialy differents, just differents.

[Henk]

First learn how to finish KBNk endgame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFF5ibgB6eA

[Sean Evans]

US chess champion: I'd rather sacrifice my career than be forced to wear a hijab

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/10/01/us ... hijab.html

[Sean Evans]

Hijabs row Grandmaster forced to block 1,000 chess 'trolls' on Twitter

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10 ... s-on-twit/

[Dirt]

I want to support Nazi, as I am against all dress codes, but it's hard to come up with a sufficient justification. Maybe the organizers should lower the temperature in the playing hall until everyone would want to cover their heads.

[Ras]

The other issue is - what would have been the alternative? According to the German Newspaper "Die Welt", nobody else was willing to fund the event. Maybe the Queens of Chess should start thinking about that aspect, too.

[S.Taylor]

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world ... ip-in-iran

The world’s top female chess players reacted with horror Thursday after being told they must compete at next year’s world championship wearing a hijab.

Within hours of Iran being announced as the host country, the event was plunged into crisis as it emerged that players taking part face arrest if they do not cover up.

Grandmasters lined up to say they would boycott the 64-player tournament and accused FIDE, the game’s scandal-hit governing body, of failing to stand up for women’s rights.

FIDE officials, meanwhile, called on participants to respect “cultural differences” and accept the regulations.

Hijabs have been mandatory for women in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the law is enforced by the country’s “morality police.”

Players claim that FIDE is turning a blind eye to sexual discrimination. Nazi Paikidze, the U.S. women’s champion, said: “It is absolutely unacceptable to host one of the most important women’s tournaments in a venue where, to this day, women are forced to cover up with a hijab.

Paikidze added: “I am honoured and proud to have qualified to represent the United States in the Women’s World Championship. But, if the situation remains unchanged, I will most certainly not participate in this event.”

The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning about travelling to Iran, saying citizens risk being unjustly imprisoned or kidnapped.

Carla Heredia, an Ecuadorean former Pan American champion, added: “No institution, no government, nor a Women’s World Chess Championship should force women to wear or to take out a hijab.

“This violates all what sports means. Sport should be free of discrimination by sex, religion and sexual orientation.”


@nigelshortchess It's very upsetting that I have to miss my first Women's World Championship. For many reasons. https://t.co/eGS64dK1Y5
—
Nazi Paikidze-Barnes (@NaziPaiki) September 27, 2016.
FIDE held a smaller Grand Prix event in Iran earlier this year where, The Daily Telegraph understands, several players were left angry about being forced to wear the headscarf.

Nigel Short, the British former world title contender, said: “There are people from all sorts of backgrounds going to this … If you are deeply Christian why would you want to wear a symbol of Islam’s oppression of women?”

Susan Polgar, the chairman of FIDE’s commission on women’s chess, defended the federation, saying that women should respect “cultural differences”.

FIDE is already reeling after its president, the eccentric multi-millionaire Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, was placed on a U.S. sanctions list for alleged business dealings with the Syrian regime.

Ilyumzhinov has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The Daily Telegraph tried to contact FIDE, but the federation has not responded.

This angers me a lot. Even though religous judaism requires modesty in dress... for jews, that is. And yes, i slightly agree with susan polgar to respect certain things, if it is ONLY to be dressed without bare legs and arms and shoulders.

But I don't feel all that attracted to having a womens' championship in Iran in the first place! In Israel, NO ONE would utter a squeak about a woman being dressed in ANY way they want, however immodest. But Israel is not a religous state either. They wouldn't have a womens chess tournament in mea Shearim anyway, as the absolute strictly religous jews are not interested in secular culture. If Iran wants a secular chess championship there, then perhaps they should take the women as they come. Beggars can't be choosers!!! (obviously i don't care much about Iran. But yes, modesty of women is a correct thing).

On the other hand, I find it offensive that a classical woman pianist has to be dressed with bare shoulders and a bare back. Indeed i see it as very indecent that women violinists etc have to be dressed in bare shoulders and bare legs too. What for? Better have air condioning in the concert room. They are there to make music, not to display the female body! It doesn't go well with the spiritual nature of the music.

Rambling?
Maybe! but whoever is reading this is lucky as i will not always be explaining and informing of these things, and you might never hear this in detail like i am saying here.

[Ras]

Beggars can't be choosers!!!

Only that it isn't Iran who's begging here, it's the female chess elite. So far, nobody else cared enough about them to offer them the tournament.

If the female champions are not fine with the conditions Iran puts up, then they are free to find another funding country. But that task is up to them, not to Iran. My personal feeling is that their best bet should be Sweden.

[S.Taylor]

Beggars can't be choosers!!!

Only that it isn't Iran who's begging here, it's the female chess elite. So far, nobody else cared enough about them to offer them the tournament.

If the female champions are not fine with the conditions Iran puts up, then they are free to find another funding country. But that task is up to them, not to Iran. My personal feeling is that their best bet should be Sweden.

Such beggars should be begged to come there, oterwise they should certainly not go.