UK Edition
English Chess Federation turns down two female candidates for role promoting game to women - and hands job to man
The English Chess Federation has been accused of sexism after rejecting two female candidates for a top role promoting the game to women - and instead handing it to a man.
One applicant, a senior HR executive aged in her 40s, wasn't even interviewed for the ECF's director of women's chess post, it is claimed.
She is an expert player who specialises in recruiting women to male-dominated fields.
The other, a chess-playing lawyer in her 30s, said she was offered the "opportunity" to shadow the male candidate who was eventually successful.
The directorship, which carries a meagre £5,000pa budget to promote chess to women and girls nationally, was previously held by former England international Sarah Longson.
However it was abolished in February after laying vacant for several months, and then only reinstated following a series of complaints.
Following this week's announcement that a man had been appointed, campaigners accused the organisation that runs England's national team and the British Championship of being spectacularly out of touch with wider efforts in society to get more women in leadership roles.
Amanda Ross, who founded London's Casual Chess Cafe group to encourage more women to play, said: "This is a lost opportunity to put a highly qualified leadership role.
"When I heard the news, lasers came out of my eyes! We refuse to be squeezed out of the game.
"Time and again, in all areas of life, we are told "the best 'man' for this job 'just happens to be a man, better luck next time girls'. It's not that women are mysteriously worse at everything in the world than men: it's that systemic unconscious bias leads recruiters to falsely believe men make better leaders.
"In the case of this particular role, a first hand understanding of the barriers to women's participation is key, and previous post holders have also cited their importance as a role model for young girls starting out in the game. The straightforward administrative aspects of this job have been given preference over the higher level strategic ones."
England's number one female player, International Master Jovanka Houska, also expressed surprise, saying: "That is very strange because it is very important to have female presence on the board."
The ECF leadership consists of 11 directors, only two of whom are women. One is a non-executive director and the other the director of junior chess.
The decision comes just a week after the ECF appointed a male player, IM Lorin D’Costa, as the non-playing captain of the England women's team for September's Chess Olympiad - the game's premier team competition - in Georgia.
In April the ECF also turned down an application from the Casual Chess Cafe for £6,000 in funding to support women's chess.
The group offers free lessons has taught more than 500 women to play in the last year but runs entirely on donations.
Ms Ross, who has previously called out British Grandmaster Nigel Short for saying women are not 'hard-wired' to perform at the highest level, is now working with other players to form an independent body to represent women in the game.
"We tried to work with the ECF – now we have to go around them. The new Women's Chess Network will be a registered charity supporting existing female chess players, and bringing more women into the game."
Chess has long been seen as having a problem attracting women. Outspoken comments from several notable male players have not helped.
Short, who is running for the presidency of the world governing body, is not the only top player who has suggested that men are naturally better at the game.
Garry Kasparov, perhaps the game's greatest star, also once said that "women, by their nature, are not exceptional chess players: they are not great fighters".
Although there are very few female chess players at all levels from primary school age upwards, especially in the top echelons, Grandmaster Judit Polgar regularly beat both Kasparov and Short.
GM Polgar has now been succeeded as the world's top woman by Chinese star Grandmaster Hou Yifan, who is considered a prodigious talent but due to take a break from the game when she attends Oxford University this year.
In England, out of a total 16,000 active players registered with the English Chess Federation last year, only 4 per cent were women.
The ECF's successful candidate for the role of director of women's chess was 59-year-old Chris Fegan, a highly-experienced tutor for the Chess in Schools and Communities charity who has taught the game to thousands of adults youngsters of both sexes.
Speaking after his appointment, Mr Fegan said: “With the imbalance between the numbers of men and women playing chess, it is obvious that a key focus across the chess world is boosting the participation of women in chess at all levels.
"I am looking forward to the challenge of working with men and women across English chess to change the culture of the game in this country to make it more welcoming and inclusive for the many women who want to participate."
ECF CEO Mike Truran said that he was “delighted to secure a person of Chris’s experience and calibre to take responsibility for one of the major areas of priority for the ECF”.
The new Women's Chess Network has launched a fundraising page to help increase the numbers of women playing chess, and support existing female players.
ECF CEO Mike Truran: "In the considered opinion of the ECF directors, who carefully reviewed the three applications and interviewed two of the applicants, Chris’s chess-related experience and background were ahead of the other two applicants.
"One of Chris’ objectives in the role is to identify and develop a suitable female candidate who will hopefully take over from him in due course."