The International Chess Federation (FIDE) says it is temporarily banning transgender women from competing in its women’s events.
The FIDE said individual cases would require “further analysis” and that a decision could take up to two years.
The move has been criticised by some players and enthusiasts.
Many sports governing bodies have been working on policies towards transgender athletes, but chess does not involve comparable levels of physical activity.
From what I’ve gathered it’s about making chess more accessible to women, since a very large majority of chess players are men, which can be uncomfortable. Which makes the ban even more ridiculous.