Aronian: Women Cannot Play Chess

Wow, I just saw a transcript of an interview with Levon Aronian. In it, he says that "Women cannot play chess."

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5025

What do you think of his comments?

Backed up by no scientific evidence, people like this I think are holding back more women from playing the game. I think RJF made a similar comment, and Kasparov. But the interview was interesting. I disagree with what he said that logic only really comes to the fore in the endgame. I think logic is everything in chess, it just is usually more abstract in the midgame.

Chess is full of extreme egos.

Women have contributed just as much to chess as men have.

By the end of the interview, it would seem that his issue with women goes well beyond the chess board... LOL!

I say let the girls play and all power to them. Actually why have separate classifications for men and women? Isn't that rather antiquated in this day and age?

this topic has been raised several times recently and in all cases the end result has been a locked thread.... here we go AGAIN!!!!!!

It just goes to show that extreme proficiency in one area requiring substantial intelligence does not necessarily translate into rational beliefs in another.  Fischer suffered similarly.

Are you just trying to start a flame war here?

The reason, in my opinion, that no women have challenged for the world championship is because of the seperate classifications (GM and WGM). Without this, I'm sure there'd be a woman World Champion.

And by the way, it's not my love life coming into play here, it's my belief that all humans are equal and deserve to be treated as such by EVERYONE. Not just myself. For anyone to say women can't play chess is the personification of ignorance and antiquity, as rdallison and David_Grakovsky have already said.

He probably never got laid in highschool.

Sorry, there was no intent to start World War III. I just had to post because I was shocked that these words came from such a high-profile player like Aronian. (Kasparov has never made such inflamatory statements)

Wow I can't belive some things that are said,and or belived. Anyone can play chess,but not everyone can PLAY....CHESS..

why thank you

If you think women can't play chess, you should see monkeys... Oh my goodness, it's just disgraceful.

"emotional chess" by Sanja Dedijer #1 bestseller... j/k

I'd buy it!!!

 probably never went,  seriously i,m sick of this subject, pointless.

 Ha! It's like a bad penny, this subject! Just when you think you've got rid of it!

LOL, yes, i did, and i think we should have titles for them, something like Monkey Grandmaster (MGM?)

I can smell this topic on the way to being locked!

Sexism aside, it's quite a beautiful interview, full of love for the aesthetics of the game:

"One must be very passionate and romantic if one wants to create a masterpiece that is to last for centuries. That is my personal approach, which some players do not understand and even smile at. But I don’t care. For me creating a masterpiece is more important than just to win".

Good for you, Mr. Aronian, good for you. Just, you know, lay off the sexism.

Koneru Humpy ( World No2 woman) fed up of such comments decided to play in Mens category. She won 7 games in a row in India's National championship.( Remember we have any number of GMs/IMs and most games end in draw only) . Though she lost a couple games in later half but after that nationals I have not heard this comment from any Indian player ! She qualified for mens or open category team more than once. Judith Polgar beat Vishy Anand more than once !! So I think such thinking is totally misplaced.