Althouse: "Under the present circumstances, the only way for me to protect my rights is not to go to Iran... There is no place for an enforceable religious dress code in sports."

June 14, 2018

"Under the present circumstances, the only way for me to protect my rights is not to go to Iran... There is no place for an enforceable religious dress code in sports."

Said Soumya Swaminathan, a 29-year-old chess champion — 5th in India — who has withdrawn from a chess competition that will end in Iran, which is requiring females to wear a headscarf.

That's the first time I ever looked at the word "headscarf" and thought of the alternate meaning of eating a head. To "scarf" is "To pig out or 'down' food really fast and hastily."

By the way, is chess a "sport"? Here's "Ten Reasons why Chess is a Sport." The 10 reasons (detailed at the link): 1. Competitive. 2. Well established. 3. Physical fitness ("Peak mental condition requires being in good physical condition" (though the inclusion of disabled persons is counted as a reason under #7)) 4. Behaviour code. 5. Olympic Recognition ("Chess has been recognised as a sport by the International Olympic Committee since 2000.") 6. European Recognition. 7. Global game. 8. Mental component ("All sports have a mental component.") 9. National accolade. 10. Player ranking system.

45 comments:

Fernandinande said...: This is the third time is about as many months that some woman has been in the International News for complaining about dressing up to play chess in Iran - what's up with that? Why Iran? Why aren't they playing chess in Liberia or Viet Nam or Uruguay? Or do they play in such places, and we just don't hear about it?; 6/14/18, 8:01 AM
Rockeye said...: Unless one can both bleed and sweat during the normal course of the activity, it's not a sport. Hobby, pastime, game, whatever you like. Just not a sport.; 6/14/18, 8:01 AM
Curious George said...: "By the way, is chess a "sport"?"

If you have to ask, then the answer is "no."; 6/14/18, 8:08 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Unless one can both bleed and sweat during the normal course of the activity, it's not a sport. Hobby, pastime, game, whatever you like. Just not a sport."

I'm sure chess makes people sweat. Maybe you could bleed if you clenched your fists hard enough. Oh, but we're talking about women, so... women are bleeding about 1/4 of the time. Lots of potential for sport if you include women, what with all the bleeding.; 6/14/18, 8:09 AM
Sarah from VA said...: And childbirth is the sportiest sport of them all! I mean, if bodily fluids are what's important...; 6/14/18, 8:15 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Poker would be a sport, too. Also Yahtzee.; 6/14/18, 8:18 AM
Hunter said...: Gary: Okay, a limousine that can fly. Now I have seen everything.

Spottswoode: Really. Have you seen a man eat his own head?

Gary: No.

Spottswoode: So then you haven't seen everything. And neither have we.; 6/14/18, 8:23 AM
MikeR said...: Of course she shouldn't have to wear a scarf. But other players, males as well, should refuse to go as well. Ridiculous.; 6/14/18, 8:24 AM
Florence said...: Sports enforce religious dress codes all the time (if by religious we mean a system of designated behaviors and practices) -- tennis players can only wear white at Wimbledon!; 6/14/18, 8:24 AM
Curious George said...: Just as interesting, the tournament in question is the Asian Chess Championships. I was curious and sure enough, it consists of "two divisions, Open and Women's, the latter of which is reserved to female players."

Soumya Swaminathan has won and competes in girls tournaments when she was younger, and women's tournaments as an adult.

Why would there be women's divisions in chess?; 6/14/18, 8:24 AM
gspencer said...: “Just stay quiet, submit to Allah and Islam, and you'll be okay"; 6/14/18, 8:36 AM
Rick said...: I like chess. But chess is a game, not a sport.

The missing element is that physical ability does not impact play. The "list" tries to obscure this by changing that requirement to "physical fitness". But the form its used in that list would qualify literally anything as a sport.; 6/14/18, 8:37 AM
Rockeye said...: Touche, Ann. I'm not sure I can snark my way out of this.; 6/14/18, 8:45 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: So all Texas Hold ‘Em and Scrabble currently lack to be considered sports are 5 and 6. Let the lobbying of the Olympics Committee and European sports bodies commence.; 6/14/18, 8:49 AM
readering said...: I assume women have their own tournament because of cultural/religious segregation.
I think Bobby F made it a sport going up against those Ruskies. Now we have computers which don't bleed.; 6/14/18, 8:52 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @Hunter

LOL; 6/14/18, 8:54 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Have you ever known a person who always scarfs his food? I've seen a couple lawprofs who do — and one of them is really famous!; 6/14/18, 8:55 AM
Curious George said...: "readering said...
I assume women have their own tournament because of cultural/religious segregation."

Sure if we were speaking of the Asian Championship. But it's everywhere, inclucing the US Chess Championship.; 6/14/18, 8:56 AM
Ann Althouse said...: In the 1970s, I had a job in market research that required me to read scores of magazines every month at classify everything in it (except the ads) by subject matter. There were code numbers and you couldn't invent new categories, and you didn't want to have to fall back on the nothingness of "General, miscellaneous," which I still remember was 1608. I believe, back then, we gave chess "Sports, general)(which I think was something in the 1200s). I was uneasy with that. I was also uneasy with classifying math as "science" and insurance as "finance," but that's what we did.; 6/14/18, 8:59 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: Coulda been worse -- at least the Iranians didn't make her play chess wearing a burkini.; 6/14/18, 9:02 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "Of course she shouldn't have to wear a scarf. But other players, males as well, should refuse to go as well. Ridiculous"

Exactly. What does it say about the governing body of your game that this is even in question? I can understand a person opting out because of their religious convictions, but not being allowed to opt in because of someone else's religious convictions means you're dealing with medieval fuckwads. Or Muslims.; 6/14/18, 9:05 AM
Lance said...: Let's not get carried away.; 6/14/18, 9:08 AM
pacwest said...: "Coulda been worse -- at least the Iranians didn't make her play chess wearing a burkini."

Maybe all women in chess tounaments should have to wear bikinis. Might draw a bigger audience.; 6/14/18, 9:36 AM
Seeing Red said...: It’s not like woman’s Track and Field or Sand volleyball can be played or hosted in Iran easily. I think chess meets the dress requirements.; 6/14/18, 9:38 AM
Wince said...: By these definitions, playing "chest" would also be a sport, with an offense and defense.

In one allegation, Cortani describes going to Tavecchio’s office in May 2015 to ask him about some sports clubs joining the football federation. According to Cortani, Tavecchio approached and began touching her breasts and said: ‘You look good! You have great tits there!’; 6/14/18, 9:55 AM
bleh said...: Whenever I see a story about women's chess, I have the same thought: why is there even such a thing as women's chess?; 6/14/18, 10:00 AM
gilbar said...: wow! deep post!
sure enough, it consists of "two divisions, Open and Women's, the latter of which is reserved to female players."

Why isn't Men's and Women's I'm assuming women are allowed into the Open division; which is as close as you can get to saying that most women's minds are too small and pretty for chess?

women are bleeding about 1/4 of the time. Lots of potential for sport if you include women, what with all the bleeding.
So, this explains Why Danica Patrick is allow to race even though she's slow?

insurance as "finance,"
Like, TOTALLY! don't get me started on how many ways insurance is finance... It's Nothing but.

If you're not going to consider insurance as finance; the only other place to put it would be Information Technology; 6/14/18, 10:01 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Chess is not a sport, and neither is Monopoly or Scrabble.; 6/14/18, 10:05 AM
Larry J said...: Fernandistein said...

This is the third time is about as many months that some woman has been in the International News for complaining about dressing up to play chess in Iran - what's up with that? Why Iran? Why aren't they playing chess in Liberia or Viet Nam or Uruguay? Or do they play in such places, and we just don't hear about it?

I have it on good authority that they have held at least one chess tournament in Bangkok, Thailand.; 6/14/18, 10:09 AM
Michael said...: If golf is a sport then chess is a sport. I view both as games.; 6/14/18, 10:21 AM
Lucien said...: If “feminists” had the courage of their convictions they would boycott Iran and many other countries that oppress women, just as South Africa and Rhodesia were boycotted.

But to distract from that issue let’s talk about whether chess is a sport instead.; 6/14/18, 10:34 AM
buwaya said...: I am not very sympathetic.
Local ways are local ways.
I like the "When in Rome..." standard of civilized behavior.

When a guest in a foreign land, learn and observe the local ways to the best of your ability. This is not simply good manners, it is instructive and greatly assists in communication.; 6/14/18, 10:44 AM
buwaya said...: And there is another, larger point (a larger point, there are others of course), that of the loss of cultures through homogenization. This is a demand that Iran homogenize, to adopt the international grey, indistinct culture that is taking everything over.

Iran was and probably will homogenize, but it is not necessarily a good thing.; 6/14/18, 10:47 AM
Achilles said...: buwaya said...
I am not very sympathetic.
Local ways are local ways.
I like the "When in Rome..." standard of civilized behavior.

When a guest in a foreign land, learn and observe the local ways to the best of your ability. This is not simply good manners, it is instructive and greatly assists in communication.

In this case we communicate that Iran practices a backwards religion that supports barbarism and is antithetical to modern society.; 6/14/18, 10:58 AM
buwaya said...: What is "modern society"?
There are many sorts, of which a dominant international subculture wants to impose one particular version on everyone else. Much of US politics is precisely about that conflict. Making the Iranians get rid of their female dress code is exactly the same sort of thing as purging Longfellow from your schools, or requiring Catholic hospitals in Ireland to perform abortions. And etc., and etc.; 6/14/18, 11:08 AM
n.n said...: why is there even such a thing as women's chess?

Good question. There is no [known] sex difference to justify the distinction. It's just chess. The same as it's just math or just (double entendre notwithstanding) law.; 6/14/18, 11:30 AM
Achilles said...: buwaya said...
What is "modern society"?
There are many sorts, of which a dominant international subculture wants to impose one particular version on everyone else. Much of US politics is precisely about that conflict. Making the Iranians get rid of their female dress code is exactly the same sort of thing as purging Longfellow from your schools, or requiring Catholic hospitals in Ireland to perform abortions. And etc., and etc.

Modern liberal society allows catholics to dress like catholics.

Modern progressive society forces catholic hospitals to provide abortions.

Modern Islamic society forces you to submit to the will of allah.

Two of these societies are barbaric.; 6/14/18, 11:33 AM
buwaya said...: There are many more modern societies than that.

You are correct about "modern progressive", thats what is acting like a bully on all others. Take a step back, and you will see that Iran, in thus respect, and for all its faults, is not really in a different position than all the others. For better or worse it will be fed into the same blender.

There is a level of value above any specific trait of the cultures we are looking at, and that is that they are distinct.; 6/14/18, 11:52 AM
elkh1 said...: She is a winner.; 6/14/18, 11:58 AM
Amexpat said...: There's a incredible amount of endurance needed to play chess at a high level. That's why great champions like Kasaparov have had to give way to younger players.

If curling and sailing are sports then chess should be as well.; 6/14/18, 12:23 PM
Achilles said...: buwaya said...

“There is a level of value above any specific trait of the cultures we are looking at, and that is that they are distinct.”

Only in the details.

They all have their own idiosyncrasies about what is enforced.

No culture has ever truly lived up to the liberal ideal.

But pre-progressive America was the closest a society has come and after we defeat the progressives again we will move towards the modern liberal ideal again.; 6/14/18, 3:25 PM
lgv said...: Being mentally fit does not require physical fitness. That is ridiculous.; 6/14/18, 5:28 PM
Ann Althouse said...: “If you're not going to consider insurance as finance; the only other place to put it would be Information Technology.”

There could have been a separate code number for insurance.

Of course, I understand how it’s finance, thought it’s not solf to the public as finance.

What about math as a subdivision of science? That surprised me.

And, btw, we had nocode number for info technology or computers or the internet. It was the 70s!; 6/14/18, 8:42 PM
Openidname said...: "BDNYC

"Whenever I see a story about women's chess, I have the same thought: why is there even such a thing as women's chess?"

For the same reason there's women's softball, golf, or wrestling. If there weren't, a woman would never win.

Granted, chess does't require upper body strength, but for whatever reason, men (on the average) beat women (on the average).; 6/14/18, 8:59 PM
Unknown said...: I disagree.

True sports possess a likelihood of death or injury. There must be a chance of blood being spilled. Chess is a game.

Baseball, basketball, darts, football (gridiron), hockey, lacrosse, marksmanship, martial arts, fencing, jousting tourneys, downhill skiing, boxing, parachuting, rock climbing, scuba, and archery are sports.

Golf is a game. Card games are games.; 6/15/18, 11:06 PM