The FIDE Council announced new regulations regarding gender changes, the Trans Gender registration regulations. This set of rules states that players have the right to change their gender in the FIDE registry, as long as they have legally changed their gender in accordance with their respective national law. The regulations also states a process for complaints and possible sactions should a national federation not comply with FIDE rulings in a complaint case. As such these rules can be considered a strengthening of player’s personal rights and a good start in the work to make FIDE more open, tolerant and inclusive. All apart from one paragraph.
Paragraph 3 states that if a person changes their gender from male to female, they may not participate in any women’s tournaments. This paragraph is temporary, valid for up to two years, but in that time it constitutes a serious infringement on our player’s freedom and rights.
The Nordic Federations has made the following statement:
“In the Nordic countries a persons legal gender is decided according to each country’s national law. In chess tournaments, which groups one is allowed to participate in, should be decided by a persons legal gender. Accordingly any woman is, of course, welcome to play in all tournaments and competitions open for girls and women, in the Nordic countries. The same shall apply for all international competitions.
Paragraph 3, in FIDE’s Transgender Registration Regulations, states that if you change your gender from male to female, you may not participate in any tournament or competiton for girls/women. We strongly oppose this and find it to be an infringement on personal freedom. It is also in violation of IOC’s stand on the matter. This Paragraph is contributing to maintaining prejudice, counteracting any effort towards making Chess open and inclusive.
We strongly recommend that Paragraph 3 of FIDE’s Transgender Registration Regulations be removed.“
Oslo December 11, 2023
The Danish Chess Federation
The Norwegian Chess Federation
The Faroese Chess Federation
The Swedish Chess Federation
The Finnish Chess Federation
The Icelandic Chess Federation
