The Status of Female Players in Chess

Depends on who you are asking. Anyone who sponsers matches has a reason to promote women in chess: it would increase the audience if nothing else. More importantly, it is good for chess to try to include women. If it really is the case that women are equally able and don't play because of social reasons (which seems most likely), then the world is presumably missing out on many a qualified master, due to sociological norms. 

i would be very careful about arguing from the general to the particular, which can lead to ridiculous remarks like:

Men (generally) specialize in spacial intelligence and mathematics, and we all know how much that predominates chess.  Women, on the other hand, tend to have a higher propensity toward linguistic and emotional intelligence, and there's not much of that at all in chess.

a recent study showed that around 80% of men and 40% of women have "spatial intelligence" to a high degree, which would argue that if elguero's proposition were valid, and this was a critical skill, that about 1/3 of chessplayers would be women.

this is not so, which argues that this is not the reason for lower representation of women.

we argue that it is hard to compete against men because it is frowned upon by enough men to make us feel unwelcome, and many more that just don't care, whose idea of "open access" is by guys' rules and assumptions.

and finally, these spurious arguments are proof in themselves:  if you replace "women" with "blacks" in your mind, and re-read this thread, and try for a little insight to replace the macho BS, maybe you just might be shocked. 

"a recent study showed that around 80% of men and 40% of women have "spatial intelligence" to a high degree, which would argue that if elguero's proposition were valid, and this was a critical skill, that about 1/3 of chessplayers would be women."

It doesn't follow that that the ratio between men and women in spatial intelligence should equal the ratio between men and women in chess. That would deny any and all other influences. Actually, it says absolutely nothing about the participation of women in chess, but rather simply presents one possible ingredient affecting the chances of women in the highest echelons of chess as compared to men.

i presume that you also deprecate elguero's argument on the same grounds?

this is my exact point. 

"i presume that you also deprecate elguero's argument on the same grounds?"

elguero's argument has nothing to do with the thread, which is why women don't participate in chess as much as men, so, to me,  it didn't warrant comment.

 I don't know whether the study he cites is real or imaginary, accurate or skewed, cited properly or not, but it's certainly in the realm of possibility that there are physiological differences that would give one gender some advantage over another in chess play. Whether this is the case and who has the advantage is far from conclusive. Chess is far more than spatial ability and to single that out as THE cause women haven't so far acheived to the level of men seems not just premature, but short sighted. To consider it as of of many of the possible causes seems reasonable.

"this is my exact point."

Which is? 

This is also in correlation to the original point.  Because Chess is perceived as uncool and all that play it are geeks by association, females, because they are judged more than men and generally care more about what others think about them than the general man, they are averse to chess because they do not want to be perceived as the player that many people who do not play chess have preconceptualized. 

 And Chess is not a game of the mind?  

 i know there are men only golf clubs, including the one where the masters is played (agusta?). I actually think toronto may have a woman only golf club.

Because when we win a game in chess we men think we're smart.

Women already know they're smarter than us :) 

 Examine the profile of the member in question.  I think it is highly unlikely a 13 year-old is married.

Good album ain't it lad. I looked at your profile now, and I'm gonna get my son to challenge you if you don't mind. I reckon you would be pretty well matched. Anyway, own up, was it your mum sitting next to you? You were trying to get on the right side of someone weren't you.

Anyway, slightly off topic there. Where were we, chess,chicks, do not mix! 

Sure, and no, there wasn't, honest.

May be used for future sucking-upping however :P