Sexism in Chess ...

... I think the information has been with me for some time, but it really just dawned on me now after reading http://www.chess.com/news/world-mind-games-under-way-in-beijing-4917  which contained the line, "The woman's section has ..." unearthed the ridiculous absurdity stewing in me of dividing the competition into same-sex struggles over who has the best spatial relations.  

I understand that men typically are more inclined to understand spatial relationships in general.  I also understand that in other sports such as basketball or tennis it often becomes warranted as the gap between physical ability based on sex alone becomes a legit issue.  Chess is a mental game.  Even considering the bias in male brains to entertain larger geometric puzzles, when Chess organizers divide competition to their own gender it's really hard for a rational person to forgive this medieval mindset in today's modern age.  I think women's liberation has moved passed segregating gender's in a game that can be played by 9 year-old's, and that when a woman can advance to make money professionally off the legit sport it has become, segregating by sex basically tells me, "You cant play with the big boys and a legit threat to them, so we'll make it easier for you to advance on the basis we need more women players."  I dont know, maybe there is some truth in that, but if women want to be treated equal as so many do, then Chess organizations such as "World Mind Games" in Beijing and many in North America by even the most imaginative stretch cannot possibly consider women to be of equal value when it comes to playing this particular mental sport.  

I think you have the wrong idea, I'm pretty sure that women have the option of playing in whatever gender group they want. The division exists simply because there are so few professional chess players that are also women, not because women don't have the mental capacity to compete at high levels. Because there are so few women chess players, their group contains fewer high outliers.

The way I see it, It's actually beneficial for women to have their own section (so long as they aren't forced to play in it) because they are a minority in the game, and the best of the women players should be recognized formally.

Who knows, maybe I'm wrong, and the whole white moves first thing is a racial attack, too (joking, of course).

Unlike most sports, in chess women are able to compete against men, and so some women do not compete for the women's title. Notably, the world's top rated female player for the past 20 years, Judit Polgár (and by far the highest FIDE-rated woman in chess history), has never competed for the women's title.

It's optional, and the reason it is available is because many women want a women's section.

asl pics?

And talking about Fischer, he was very much against woman in chess. He was furious they were allowed in the club.

Personally I find it rather upsetting that women can get the special women-titles. If I was a women I would probably be a bit insulted by that. So as far as I am concerned, drop the women-only titles. It's 2013 and women have proven themself to be just as good as men in chess. Hell, who here would win from any of the Polgar-sisters?

I certainly not. The only reason as far as I am concerned that we don't see more woman in the top is because the pool is smaller.

And it would be good to see that the men in the chess world would become gentlemen again. As in, not drooling over the board when they play against a female. Not commenting on the looks of (famous) female players but on their skills.

Never gonna happen.  It's not our fault we think about sex every 7 seconds, we are programmed as such, instinctually.  

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am extremely analytical and am required to continually use spatial reasoning to do my job, probably more than the average person.

I have to look at the entire process that is required to do my job from begining to end. Most often this happens without any plan given to me and even if a blueprint is given to me, it shows only a physical representation, but not how to make the crude picture, become the very detailed, specific reality, of what I have to abstractly figure out ahead of time.

I don't have the luxury of making many mistakes either. Life and limb, time, money, reputation, etc, all play a role in why I cannot. Yet, female chess players are out their who can crush me OTB. This non-sense about men being better at spatial reasoning, is a stereotype. Make the test questions for spatial reasoning over things women love, like shopping, make up, clothing and what is happening in Hollywood and intentionally make them about things men loathe and I am willing to bet money, you'd so different results. The reason those women are better than me are desire, experience and "talent". If I were clearly as talented chessically, it would have shown quickly, when I first grew to love this game.

Talent isn't bound by sex....

Well, I am a former Sanda fighter. Needless to say there were very fit and pretty women also training at my club. I can assure you that none of the fighers, big, small, pumped up, agressive, gentle, where as sexist as I sometimes see on this forum alone.

And those are guys with lots of testosterone. But, they had manners, selfcontrole and most of all, respect.

Yeah but I bet I can guess what thoughts were going through your minds constantly.  

In Sanda, just as in Chess, you better focus on your fight. In chess you might lose some rating, but in Sanda it really hurts when you lose focus ;)

But seriously, I don't know of any other sport where men look at women so much as objects as in the chess-world. As if they've never seen a female before.

In my experience, the competition takes over and you focus on that, and forget about the attraction.

I've played basketball against women, one of whom liked to play in the post. So everytime her side had the ball, we jostled for position with her butt in my crotch. Sounds awkward, but we were just two players competing. Same thing for chess, poker, etc.

Wilbert_78 maybe they haven't seen a women play chess before. There don't seem to be a lot of them out there, I've many female friends and not one of them plays chess on more than a very occasional basis. 

Yeah

That would be easily circumvented by just taking the pill a bit longer. So, while I can't say anything about his findings, it doesn't have to be a problem at all. Allthough I'm sure there are women for whom taking anti-conception isn't an option.

It is interesting. I think I'm going to look up his research. On a different note, it would be so much easier to read what you contribute to this discussion if you would start your sentences with a capital-letter

Its not sexism, it is realism and fact.
Women can't play chess like men.

There are some exceptions but the women are weaker.

And they segregate themselves, and they enjoy the distinction because they would really be struggling to make a living out of chess if they had to compete with men.

I think it is ok to have separate divisions, so women can have fun too, who actually follows WGM games anyways???  No one cares really, at least not me

And then there is this type of attitude that turns off some from wanting to play chess with sexist men

No need to lie, lol.  You were constantly thinking about destroying her box, I know I would be. MUWAHAHAHHAHA

hehe, chessboxing 

@Im_Horrible, so you basically you are saying its a womans box that brings equality to the sexes.. I'll go with that

hehe, 

Box