The Prettiest chess player!

By the way, do any of the more moralistic posters in this thread find it dubious that the Kosteniuks are selling photos of various women players at sites like this?:

http://chesspics.com/

There the photos are published as parts of various "beauty contests". I don't know what I think about that myself, quite harmless I guess and not much worse than this thread.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, back the truck up...

1)  You volunteer at a BDSM venue where people abuse each other (even if it's consensual) and you're telling us to "respect women"?

There's no such thing as "consensual" and "abuse" in the same sentence.  Personally, I don't like to inflict a lot of pain/humiliation, but plenty do, and if that is what is desired by both parties, then it is not abuse.

If you (a) treat a woman as entirely equal and as a human being first, female second, (b) don't foist your own ideas or desires on her without permission, and (c) give her what she is seeking...then yes, that is being respectful of a woman.  

Indeed.

@LouFyou-i was actually referencing your quote (#118) and again, "huh?" wth(!?). Making this thread into some kind of under 30 competition was your "brilliant" idea, comrade...soo don't be accusing anyone of being ignorant when the OP's off topic discussion is being over-analyzed, taken way out of context, and being made an parody of.

Nonetheless, i wasn't joking or rhetorical when i asked you that question btw. Your move.

??

@btickler~i purposely did not engage with you directly because i really do agree with most of your points of sexual exploitation of women...i just wanted you to take a step back and really look at the conversation at hand and come to a realization that this particular forum isn't the place to promote such an agenda.

But now, after learning of your own personal activities, i am taken aback. The very notion (paraphrasing): "that it isn't abuse if it is desired by both parties". Holy hypocriticrap! Dunno about anyone else (men or women) but it totally dissintergrates any credability you had with me. Sorry.

This thread is really being overanalyzed, but it is interesting on principle :-) To many it seems difficult to separate the concept of beauty from instructions to others that they should treat women as equals, and approach them as human beings, to first later introduce sex into it. I find that more creepy, tbh. I have no interest in approaching any of these pictures or introducing sex into anything, and to me the connections made by the "moralists" to masturbation, bodies, sex etc are more dubious than some innocent photos. Then of course there is a fine line between bad taste and good taste, but we can't all be perfect, and I'm not taking this subject all that seriosuly.

I think Giovanna Tornabuoni looks good. I don't want to treat her as an equal and first then introduce sex into the relationship, I don't connect it to sex at all. I don't think like that. If the portrait of her was painted today I would still think she was beautiful, and some people would condemn me for it. :-)

These are the prettiest chess players; if you disagree I will send Ivanov to burn down your house.

Another pic of Triin. <3

wher do i stand hahahahah ...nowhere !

gawd - all these women are so beautiful and telanted. I am a bit jealous, but at the same, I am so proud of them all. And I am sure most of them would be happy at the attention (and asking themselves if they like the pic of themselves !). I grew up with many brothers and they would pass around magazines at home....I see no real harm because boys are just going to be boys...so....Girl Power !

There should be more pictures of sexy men up here.

Pretty high I reckon.

it totally dissintergrates any credability you had with me.

Ironically, your sentence above achieved the same result ;).

I am sure you are coming at this with some idea that by saying "if both parties agree, it's not abuse" I am allowing for some kind of horrific abuse that a women might say she actually wanted but that is criminal in its application.  I am not talking about coercion and long term bullying and browbeating that produce "consent", though.  I am talking about 2 healthy, consenting, independent adults making rational decisions.  

And let me head off the next argument at the pass...if you claim there are certain acts you would have to consider "abusive" towards women even when they are perfectly sane and desiring of it, then you are deciding for others what they can and can not do with their own bodies ;)...which is not respect, it is condescension, judgment, and control.

Ah. So then, you're actually saying I'm the one being prejudicial & judgemental toward others within this context? You being the sole reason we're even talking about this in an what started out be an innocuous, light-hearted thread; makes one wonder about you and your tolerance, morality, respectfulness...not mine.

I'll bet money that not one of the girls shown here are not the least bit offended that their male chess playing counterparts think they are pretty.

In fact, most of them would probably be flattered. Geez, where are the days you could compliment a woman/girl on her looks without being labeled some kind of sex maniac?

The girls should better rescue the men in this off topic thread about - do you love me more than chess. Men cannot deal with that!

I never said anything about men thinking women are pretty.  I said something about posting their photos.  Think they are pretty all you want, and go ahead and tell them you find them pretty.  It's still not a reason to take it upon yourself to spread their photo around; they didn't ask for it, and it's not your right to do so ethically.

If you walked up to woman on a crowded downtown street, and said to her "my gosh, you are so beautiful", and she said "thank you" and got a big smile on her face...and then 2 seconds later you grasped her forearm, holding her there, and yelled out at the top of your lungs "HEY! Check out this babe!!!"...what do you think her reaction would be?

The fact that so many cannot see this distinction at all is disturbing.

Just post a picture of your wife/girlfriend/daughter/sister/niece etc if you think this all just light-hearted fun and games!

If this is all so harmless and innocent then you shouldn't have any problems right?

Very nice idea indeed!

Your repeatedly connecting things to physical violence and sex and disturbing behaviour etc is a bit over the top, methinks.