how can we encourage more women to play? Let's talk about the positive aspects of chess for women: It's fun to play & it's most suitable for our brains! Whilst covid is around it's so easy to play & learn online & here it doesn't even cost anything!
I'm not particularly good & I hardly ever play against women (there aren't so many around) but I enjoy beating all these chauvinists who like to think they're better than women. Take Nigel Short: He got beaten easily by Judit Polgar, much younger than he & he still bleats that we can't be as good as himself. OMG
The main reason why there are few women in chess is statistically: Take 2 women and 10 men & let them choose numbers between 1 - 100. If the women choose 100 & 99, there will be many more men who'll choose the top numbers - get the drift?
Our society is very much the blame culture - but it's a waste of time walking around with a chip on your shoulder.
Any woman reading this: Play & study & enjoy yourself!
I agree, there could be a lot more women playing chess.
With all due respect, I don't think taking joy in defeating chauvinists is a good perspective on life. The problem that we all face is this scenario of us vs then to seem to plague every corner of the world lately. In order to have a happy place for all players we should start by being kind and helpful to one another. So if you want to encourage woman and other people to be safe and accepted in your community, be that. To start a topic by antagonizing people is a sure way to provoke more of what we want to avoid, a toxic place.
It is great to be a combative person when an unjust event is taking place, but just as important is to be able to chill and be in peace so other people can feel at ease while they are doing their own thing.
I always find it weird that people who want to combat people to give other people rights or recognition get as (or even more) attacked for being combative as (or then) people who want to combat people to give less rights or recognition...
I am all for getting rid of sexism. And if we have to discriminate against people who discriminate against women, so be it.
We won't have a "happy place for all players" if some of those players just don't want another sort of players. So this happy place is not threatened if we try to defeat chauvinists, since it is not given as long we have chauvinists.
I think Netflix already did it. Strong storytelling and a role model, this probably will do it. In about 10 years we are going to experience the "queens gambit" effect, I think. After the interest is captured, young women will find out about Polgar sisters, the chinese players and so on...
@Alresu That's the problem. Winning games against chauvinists, discriminating against them does not actually achieve the goal of living free from discrimination, it is just leaves people more polarized, making them double down on their views, misguided as they may be.
The only way to make an environment a "safe place" it's by reflecting and growing yourself and then spreading love to others. There is no war that can be won when the challenge is to cooperate. Man and woman have to coexist, for better or worse and they should coexist peacefully. We can't "get rid" of the people we dislike (with exception of extreme cases), we can only estimulate understanding and hope that they come to a better mindspace at their own pace.
I do not want a "safe place". I want a place to play chess at any time i wish to.
But inherant to that is a respectful behaviour. Not, at the first point, to me as a woman but as a player regardless my gender.
e.g.: yesterday; rapid game; opponent rook and bishop behind, position: lost. Chat: I don`t want to loose against girl. I reported that because it was offensive (in my opinion).
Could you imagine that kind of chat between two guys?
I was slightly above at the rating: 1767:1789; but that is totally in range. Blunder involved, i saw it and used it. No reason not to resign and to play another game.
Please excuse the poor english but it is not my first language. And it is very difficult to explain things if you fight with exact wording.
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@Anna-S-Fuchs Also well said. You make a very good point. I myself am NOT a woman, but I have noticed the kind of disrespect they get, especially in the chess world. Just because they dont play in the "open" events does not mean that they are terrible at chess.
