Player Banned for 3 Years by National Federation: Competes in Tournament as Unrated Woman
Last year, Kenyan chess player Omondi Stanley participated undercover in the 2023 Kenya Open Chess Championship, which took place from April 5 to 10 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. He disguised himself as a Muslim woman, wearing a common hijab typical for Muslim women, covering his head and shoulders, along with a niqab to cover his face. He also wore large glasses. He entered the 9-round tournament under the identity of the unrated Millicent Awuor.
Today, we're revisiting this scandal from last year to explore what motivated Stanley Omondi to compete as a female chess player. Was a three-year ban from his National Federation the appropriate sanction? Is it still relevant to segregate female and male chess players? And can female chess players compete at the same level as male players in the chess world?
At the end of the article, you'll find the comment section where I encourage you to share your opinions about the situation. Enjoy the read!
Article Summary:
- Who is Stanley Omondi?
- What transpired at the Championship and how did the organizing committee react?
- The Sanction against Stanley Omondi
- The Role of Gender in Chess
- Conclusion
He's a 25-year-old student in Kenya who has already participated in several (including FIDE-rated) tournaments, achieving a standard chess rating of 1499, with a peak blitz rating of 1759. While these ratings are respectable, they weren't sufficient for him to win any cash prizes in standard championships and opens. So, he devised a scheme to earn money through chess, although in my opinion (and hopefully yours too!), it was not the right approach! Don't disguise yourself as a woman to compete in female chess tournaments! (Seriously, I hope you won't.)
The reason was due to financial needs but I deeply regret my action and [am] ready to accept all consequences.
Stanley Omondi
Why did he choose the Kenya Open Chess Championship to employ this tactic? In 2023, the prize fund for the women's section reached a substantial amount of half a million Kenyan Shillings ($3,815) for the first place! The total prize fund for the championship was $42,000, which also attracted seven international grandmasters.
Check out his results here for the 4 first rounds before he was kicked out of the event.
What transpired at the Championship and how did the organizing committee react?
Stanley Omondi registered for the tournament under the name of the unrated female chess player Millicent Awuor. During registration, he/she (what pronoun should I use in this case?!) did not speak a word but simply wrote his name on a piece of paper and handed it to the organizers. Initially, it didn't raise any eyebrows to see a player arrive wearing a hijab and niqab, as it's common attire for Muslim women. However, after the first two rounds and Millicent Owuor's consecutive wins, other players began to wonder about "her" identity. Some speculated that "she" might be a retired chess player or a veteran returning to the game after years of absence. But why would she choose to return to chess now?
I add for you the game played by Ampaire Shakira against Stanley.
Despite Stanley's well-executed disguise, which concealed most of his body and face, his choice of shoes didn't match typical women's attire. Coupled with an unusual gait and the fact that he didn't speak to anyone during the four rounds of the two-day tournament (no one had heard his voice), the staff decided to interrogate him in a separate room. There, Stanley, a.k.a. Millicent, confessed to being a male chess player.
I was quite surprised (by the news that he was a man) because I did not notice anything odd about him. He is a good player because his pieces were very active and he always capitalized on the mistakes I was making
Gloria Jumba for Nation Sport
The Sanction against Stanley Omondi
Firstly, the points lost by players against him in the first four rounds of the tournament were refunded to them to prevent any disadvantage. Then, Stanley Omondi had to face the Chess Kenya Disciplinary Committee to determine the length of his ban from national tournaments. Victor Ng'ani, a member of the Committee and the winner of the 2018 Kenya Chess Championship, didn't advocate for a lifetime ban for the player. After receiving a formal complaint from the Executive Committee of the Bernard Wanjala-led Federation, the committee decided to exclude him from the Kenya National Chess Federation for three years. Is this punishment sufficient? Share your opinion in the comments!
It (the offence) is serious enough to warrant an extensive penalty
2018 National Chess Champ Victor Ng'ani
Why are there separate tournaments for male and female players? Is it merely a stereotype about chess or a biological issue? Professionals often mention a gender gap, which is related to the amount of testosterone in the human body. We know that males produce significantly more testosterone, which makes them more aggressive, influencing their playing style in chess. However, many argue that gender is irrelevant in chess, as it's a game of the mind where physical strength doesn't matter. An interesting concept to consider is the Stereotype Threat.
In our daily lives, we encounter stereotypes and inequalities that shape our worldview and influence our decision-making. This phenomenon, termed the Stereotype Threat, has been observed in various contexts, including chess. Male chess players may have an advantage over female players due to societal biases, similar to the discrimination observed in other areas of life.
In my opinion, the fact that the protagonist of the series The Queen's Gambit on Netflix is a woman chess player is a step in the right direction and also shows that the community understands the importance of rapidly removing all these stereotypes around the chess game, that male players would be in some way stronger...
First and foremost, I advise against disguising yourself as a woman or cheating in any tournaments, as it's completely foolish and pointless! However, I believe you already knew that, didn't you? This scandal underscores the need for greater vigilance in the chess community, as cheating allegations and attempts seem to be on the rise. Notable players such as Hikaru, Kramnik, and Niemann have faced accusations.
With the advent of new technologies like Neuralink and increasingly sophisticated chess engines like Stockfish, we'll likely encounter new challenges in the near future. How we address issues such as cheating, accusations, and misinformation will shape the future of chess and its community.
Finally, I'd like to acknowledge other authors, videos and articles that have explored similar topics:
- 3-Year Ban for Kenyan Player Who Pretended To Be A Woman To Win Lucrative Prize, Peter Doggers, April 21, 2023, Chess.com
- Cette femme a choqué le monde des échecs et s'est fait bannir 3 ans !!, Julien Song, May 2, 2023, YouTube (french)
- Shock as Kenyan male chess player Stanley Omondi busted competing as a woman, Victor Otieno, April 13, 2023, Nation
- Chess Player banned for Impersonating a woman, Daaim Shabazz, April 11, 2023, The Chess Drum
- Stanley Omondi banned from participating in all Chess Kenya competitions, KBC Sports, April 22, 2023, YouTube
- Who is Stanley Omondi man who played in the Kenya Open Chess Championship disguised as a woman and his biography, Max, April 15, 2023, The SportsGrail
- Il s'habille en femmes pour.... jouer à un tournoi d'échecs féminin, mais se fait trahier par ses chaussures, La Rédaction April 16, 2023, DH Les Sports (french)
Thank you for reading, I hope you learned here something interesting! Don't hesitate to give me a feedback in the comments!
Have fun in playing chess! And keep it fair for everyone!
