Women's In-Tournament Training

[Sebastian Stone]

For all you anti positive discrimination people , just think of it as a capitalist attempt to broaden the congress's consumer base.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Last year's Uxbridge tournament in March had 116 competitors.

This year's has 143.

I think it's reasonable to assume this strategy has achieved what it set out to.

[Louise Sinclair]

[quote]someone can highlight the negative impact these girls events might have, please do let me know as I would like to address them if I can.

Yes I have a problem with it. This idea brainwashes girls into pursuing activities with other females and excluding them from competing with males on a level playing field at an early age.Thus they grow into women who believe they are not as good at chess compared to men.
Girls are not naturally intimidated by boys - this ideology is drummed into them by society. When I was a child I mixed with boys and men. My father taught me male orientated pastimes - as a result I grew up to be very comfident and didn't consider that a pastime requiring the use of my brain merited any special concessions due to my gender.
I couldn't immgine anything more off putting then being surrounded solely by other women in a cloistered environment. However as my objections do not conform to the normal ideas touted by the chess establishment I guess I will be shouted down.
Meanwhile Elizabeth I, Boudicca, Margaret Thatcher, Isabella the she wolf,Isabel of Castille, Condaleeza Rice number just a few of the women who have refused concessions to their supposed female frailty and indeed have triumphed over many men.
This other nonsense is just political correctness and sub division of chess players into tick boxes.
The other night a guy on our comittee asked why I played poker rather then chess and was horrified by the idea of wimmins chess
Louise

[LozCooper]

As an organiser of a variety of tournaments (blitz/rapid/standard, local/international) I can't see any downside to the three women's international events I have organised (other than to my bank balance )

As long as we have mens (open) and womens teams in the Olympiad & European Team and boys (open) and girls events at the World & European Youth/Junior then I don't see a problem with one or two womens events on the calendar.

If girls/women don't wish to play in them then there are many alternative tournaments but one of my aims is to attract players to events that might otherwise have not played any chess at the time, rather than encouraging players to snub open/mixed events in favour of mine.

[Louise Sinclair]

What a palaver over such a small matter!

If it's the case that women are put off playing because they are vastly outnumbered by men (and I can well believe that it is), why not offer them free entry and special coaching? This two pronged approach sends out the message that women are welcome and there will be two women present specifically to look after them.

Brendan
I'm quivering at the thought of encountering a man at a chess board. Do women really need two women to look after them at a chess event. If females are that easily intimidated presumably they shy away from "mating" an opponent's king
Louise

[Sabrina Chevannes]

If anyone is negative here Louise, it is you. We are not drumming anything into their heads and we are not "looking after them" at a chess tournament. We are providing coaching. And fyi, there is another coach who is coming along and he is MALE. We are not brainwashing them into anything. We are merely offering them another opportunity for a different style of tournament. Variety.

I started off playing in girls tournaments and loved it. I didn't have much confidence. I have two older brothers and was always more comfortable around boys. I have lots of extremely close friends who are male and don't have any fear or intimidation by men. However, I still started off with girls tournaments as I just enjoyed them more. It was nice to have lots of females around whom I had lots in common with and a good time with. These girls tournaments enabled me to grow confidence and enjoy chess.

When I won my first British title, it was a girls title. However, I then went on to win a British title overall, beating the boys to it. So I have had no problem and have not grown up into a woman who thinks they are not as good as men! Men.... BRING IT ON!

Never have we said ONLY play girls tournaments, but we are adding it as extra. Practise makes perfect and we are offering more chances at practise.

I feel that Louise, your negativity is more damaging to the women than our tournaments. We are just trying to help and I do not believe that you are. We are not imposing any such views onto anyone like you are doing so here. We are offering some girls only events and if people don't believe in them, then fine, we don't expect you to come.

[Alan Walton]

One thing nobody seems to mention is that the strongest female family of all-time, proactively refrained from entering women only tournaments, and that did them no harm at all

Personally, I have no quarms about offering free/discounted entry for females in tournaments, though one argument could be that some of these players seem very active anyway and then they are just getting a freebie when otherwise they would have entered and paid as normal, I think there is a fine balance you have to strike to be proactive encouraging entry without being detrimental to the majority of players

[Sabrina Chevannes]

One thing nobody seems to mention is that the strongest female family of all-time, proactively refrained from entering women only tournaments, and that did them no harm at all

Personally, I have no quarms about offering free/discounted entry for females in tournaments, though one argument could be that some of these players seem very active anyway and then they are just getting a freebie when otherwise they would have entered and paid as normal, I think there is a fine balance you have to strike to be proactive encouraging entry without being detrimental to the majority of players

Hey Alan

Thanks for this input. You do pick up on a lot of good points.

What do you think of our training idea though? Do you see there being any harm in that?

I see it as just helping out talented female players who would like some extra help.

[Alan Walton]

Sabrina,

My view regarding training is an excellent idea, this is exactly the remit of your position

Personally I think this should be the way to go rather than offering free entry, but also the training idea could be opened to everybody if the price is reasonable, this could also give our titled players an excellent additional income stream

[Louise Sinclair]

When I won my first British title, it was a girls title

If you felt that you were as good as a man why go for a female title in the first place? this attitude promotes ghetto chess for women.You will never teach women to compete on level terms when offering cloistered chess. In my life I have achieved many things through refusal to conform to commonly held cultural views.
I would never have accepted a prize or title offered through excluding 50% of the population. You call me negative but I find your attitudes profoundly depressing and only hope that other people show more sense about chess and gender.
In the past I was coached by a male GM - he also disapproved of female chess .
The great Judit Polgar is not interested in womens chess - does that make her negative?
Why when chess merely involves putting the brain to use does discrimination need to be invoked ?
When I compete at anything I am not interested in excluding half the population in hope of an easier ride.
Sabrina hang as many labels on me as you please but while I'm Tournament Director in the North Circular League I can tell you that there will never be any discrimatory procedures in our events.

[Louise Sinclair]

BTW I should add that like male players I paid a decent fee for my coaching

[Alex Holowczak]

When I won my first British title, it was a girls title

If you felt that you were as good as a man why go for a female title in the first place?

The British Girls titles are awarded in the same competitions as the British overall title. My personal opinion is that there should either be an Open title, or a Boys title and a Girls title. Having an Open title and a Girls title has always seemed a little odd to me.

[Sabrina Chevannes]

Louise, you obviously didn't read my post properly before aggressively jumping in.

I said that I did NOT have the confidence UNTIL I won a girls title.

That is fine that you chose to not enter girls only tournament or other events that "excludes 50% of the population", but again, we are not encouraging girls to only enter these, but to provide more chess.

Regarding he male GM being against women's chess - this is one of the reasons why females are negatives. I know many females who have been coached by men who have made them feel like s*** because they are female.

I do not believe we are saying female tournaments are an easier ride, not at all. I think a lot of these females can kick their male counterparts asses! It is just another option. But I am bored of repeating myself now.

Perhaps if you HAD spent more time with females, you would not be so testosterone induced and be less aggressive!! Might have done you some good!

[Sabrina Chevannes]

When I won my first British title, it was a girls title

If you felt that you were as good as a man why go for a female title in the first place?

The British Girls titles are awarded in the same competitions as the British overall title. My personal opinion is that there should either be an Open title, or a Boys title and a Girls title. Having an Open title and a Girls title has always seemed a little odd to me.

Actually my first British title was a BWCA one

BWCA U10 champion! I was very proud and so were my parents! And I made loads of friends there

[LozCooper]

Why is it that whenever an organiser appears on the scene with a new intiative there are always people waiting to flood the thread with so many negative comments? Why not applaud them for their time and effort and wish them well? Why is there a need for such negativity?