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I've read, over the years, comments in which the grumpy complaint is made that allowing women to play in "men's" chess tournaments is somehow unfair. Women, it is said, not only have their own events but can play in "men's" events as well. Unfair.
I understand that this is a tiny minority. But it's worth debunking. And the history is particularly interesting.
So, historically, women were prohibited from playing in "men's" events even if they were the best player, period.
We now have a situation in which we have "open" sections, in which both men and women can play, and women's sections created for the purpose of assisting in the development of women's chess. And the latter makes sense, seeing as how the kinds of prohibitions that Susan Polgar faced had been in place for a very long time (and for other reasons) . We also have segregated sections in youth chess events which may, at some point, undergo further evolution. (It's misleading, therefore, to refer to "men's" events as if the prohibition against women playing in such (non-existent) events still applied.)
So, next time some fool tries the worn-out misogynistic argument about the "unfairness" wrt women's chess, you can remind them that it took the struggle by no less a champion than Susan Polgar to overturn the tradition of prohibiting women from even competing for titles such as the (overall) World Championship. And the arrangement that now exists is the result of those kinds of struggle.
Renata Holcmann interviews Susan Polgar
I understand that this is a tiny minority. But it's worth debunking. And the history is particularly interesting.
Originally posted by Renata Holcmann
We now have a situation in which we have "open" sections, in which both men and women can play, and women's sections created for the purpose of assisting in the development of women's chess. And the latter makes sense, seeing as how the kinds of prohibitions that Susan Polgar faced had been in place for a very long time (and for other reasons) . We also have segregated sections in youth chess events which may, at some point, undergo further evolution. (It's misleading, therefore, to refer to "men's" events as if the prohibition against women playing in such (non-existent) events still applied.)
So, next time some fool tries the worn-out misogynistic argument about the "unfairness" wrt women's chess, you can remind them that it took the struggle by no less a champion than Susan Polgar to overturn the tradition of prohibiting women from even competing for titles such as the (overall) World Championship. And the arrangement that now exists is the result of those kinds of struggle.
Renata Holcmann interviews Susan Polgar
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