World chess federation bans transgender women from competing in women's events

The world's top chess federation has ruled that transgender women cannot compete in its official events for women until its officials make an assessment of gender change.

The decision by the Switzerland-based federation FIDE, published on Monday, has drawn criticism from advocacy groups and supporters of transgender rights.

FIDE said it and its member federations increasingly have received recognition requests from transgender players, and that the participation of transgender women would depend on an analysis of individual cases that could take up to two years.

"Change of gender is a change that has a significant impact on a player's status and future eligibility to tournaments, therefore it can only be made if there is a relevant proof of the change provided," the federation said.

Transgender men who transition after winning women's titles would see those titles "abolished," the federation said, while holding out the possibility of a reinstatement "if the person changes the gender back to a woman."

"If a player has changed the gender from a man into a woman, all the previous titles remain eligible," the federation said.

It acknowledged that such questions regarding transgender players were an "evolving issue for chess" and that "further policy may need to be evolved in the future in line with research evidence."

Cathy Renna, communications director for the National LGBTQ Task Force in the United States, criticized what she said appeared to be "a case of 'trans panic' with no justification, not grounded in reality and once again marginalizing trans people."

In a written response to The Associated Press, seeking an explanation about the decision, the federation's press office said: "Allow us to clarify that the new