Excluding trans women in women’s chess makes you a pawn of the patriarchy | Arwa Mahdawi

The world's top chess federation is banning trans women from competing until a review is made - and the defenses are sexist assumptions and shaky science

As anyone who has ever played the game knows, chess pieces are deceptively heavy. Enormous hand strength and lung capacity are required to move even a tiny pawn across a board. Shifting a rook or a queen? That can exhaust a delicate lady's fingers for weeks on end. And don't get me started on the spatial intelligence and mental acuity required for chess. Even thinking about the game makes my poor little woman brain hurt.