Women’s world chess champions told to wear hijab

Female grandmasters threaten to boycott contest after being ordered to don headscarves in Iran

THE world’s top female chess players reacted with horror yesterday after being told they must compete at next year’s world championship wearing a hijab. Within hours of Iran being an- nounced as the host country, the event was plunged into crisis as it emerged that players taking part face arrest if they do not cover up.

Grandmasters lined up to say they would boycott the 64-player tournament and accused Fide, the game’s scandal-hit governing body, of failing to stand up for women’s rights.

Fide officials, meanwhile, called on participants to respect “cultural differences” and accept the regulations.

Hijabs have been mandatory for women in Iran since the Islamic Revo- lution of 1979 and the law is enforced by the country’s “morality police”.

Players claim that Fide is turning a blind eye to sexual discrimination.

Nazí Paikidze, the US women’s champion, said: “It is absolutely unacceptable to host one of the most important women’s tournaments in a venue where, to this day, women are forced to cover up with a hijab.

Paikidze added: “I am honoured and proud to have qualified to represent the United States in the Women’s World Championship. But, if the situation re- mains unchanged, I will most certainly not participate in this event.”

The US Department of State has issued a warning about travelling to Iran, saying citizens risk being unjustly imprisoned or kidnapped.

Carla Heredia, an Ecuadorean former Pan American champion, added: “No institution, no government, nor a Women’s World Chess Championship should force women to wear or to take out a hijab.

“This violates all what sports means. Sport should be free of discrimination by sex, religion and sexual orientation.”

Fide held a smaller Grand Prix event in Iran earlier this year where, The Daily Telegraph understands, several players were left angry about being forced to wear the headscarf.

Nigel Short, the British former world title contender, said: “There are people from all sorts of backgrounds going to this … If you are deeply Christian why would you want to wear a symbol of Islam’s oppression of women?”

Susan Polgar, the chairman of Fide’s commission on women’s chess, defended the federation, saying that women should respect “cultural differences”.

Fide is already reeling after its president, the eccentric multi-millionaire Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, was placed on a US sanctions list for alleged business dealings with the Syrian regime.

Mr Ilyumzhinov has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The Daily Telegraph tried to contact Fide, but the federation has not responded.