Can we do a mass boycot ?
Chess makes mainstream media for the wrong reasons - again !
Sort:
Most Recent
Forum Legend
Following
New Comments
Locked Topic
Pinned Topic
Mainstream media, if one can call the Daily Mail that, has discovered chess and in particular Rapid and Blitz and Saudi Arabia. They are running a post titled "World chess champ REFUSES defend title Saudi Arabia" (sic) and goes on to discuss Anna Muzychuk's facebook entry. Part of that entry reads "
“Not to play by someone's rules, not to wear abaya, not to be accompanied getting outside, and altogether not to feel myself a secondary creature.
'Exactly one year ago I won these two titles and was about the happiest person in the chess world but this time I feel really bad. I am ready to stand for my principles and skip the event, where in five days I was expected to earn more than I do in a dozen of events combined.
'All that is annoying, but the most upsetting thing is that almost nobody really cares. That is a really bitter feeling, still not the one to change my opinion and my principles."
The key painful part of the entry is the second last line " .... the most upsetting thing is that nobody really cares". I am now 66 years old and have long since ceased waiting for, or expecting people, to behave decently. A dollar still has more influence than an entire month of mealy mouthed speeches at the UN. However, i still find myself, disappointed that, apart from a few notable exceptions, the chess world really does not appear to give a tinkers cuss about the systemic abuse of women, antisemitism and bigotry.
I am sure that over then next few years we will have the usual chess hosts give glowing self congratulatory speeches about making chess a universal sport free of any form of hatred or sexist inequalities, what is it they like to say "we are bringing chess to the world" or words to that effect. Well I will be keeping on eye on upcoming tournaments, the hosts, commentators and players, and will call out any of this self serving hypocrisy when i see it. Lets make it quite clear - your attendance in Saudi Arabia is tacit support for the systemic abuse of women, antisemitism and bigotry.
I for one will neither watch the games nor follow the results. I hope that there are like minded people out their in the chess world, but as i intimated before "I will not be holding my breath"