Snowdrops (Women) Beat Old Hands (Men)
I hope I don’t alienate too many readers writing this publicly, but I always sweat a bit when the topic of women’s sports comes up in conversation.? On one hand, if I assert that women’s capabilities are at least equal to men’s in arenas of athletic endeavor, the question always arises why there are professional women’s basketball and golf organizations.? On the other hand, if I try to argue from the relative average difference in body mass and muscle build, I’m essentializing gender.
In other words, there’s no way to come out looking anything but bad.
Now I hear about women’s chess organizations, and the problem compounds.? There’s no body mass advantage for chess players.? There’s no sense in comparing length of strides or bone structure.? To the extent that anyone can play at being a Cartesian, chess is one of those arenas where it’s mind against mind. There’s no pressing of the flesh, no luck, nothing but cerebral performance in pitched battle with cerebral performance, seemingly an arena in which those body differences (chess is one of those things that tempts me most consistently to Cartesian thought) make no difference.
So when I read about this event in the Czech Republic, I cringed a bit.? Why pit the old men against the young women?? No matter who wins, nobody wins.
I really don’t have much to say about this–I’m shrugging in my chair right now, so if anyone can help me think through this, I’d appreciate it.
