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18-year-old rising Indian star IM Divya Deshmukh has boldly called out sexism in the chess world following her participation in Tata Steel Chess, expressing frustration with comments about her appearance.
Deshmukh finished 12th with 4.5 points in her debut at the Tata Steel Chess Challengers in Wijk aan Zee. The young Indian achieved three wins, three draws and seven rating points, a respectable performance for a player who ranks fourth in the world among girls under 20 years of age.
In an Instagram post to her 45,000 followers, she reflected on her journey and described her performance as a rigorous test of endurance, patience and resilience. She also expressed her gratitude to the organizers for the opportunity to compete among the best in the world.
However, Deshmukh post instagram post was less positive, as it addressed the disturbing focus on his appearance rather than his chess prowess.
In a post that garnered nearly 500 comments on redditand was amplified by mainstream Indian media, Deshmukh highlighted unwarranted attention to her clothing, hair and accent, raising questions about the recognition of female chess players.
“I played some games that I felt were pretty good and I was proud of them. People told me that the audience didn’t even care about the game, but instead focused on every possible thing in the world: my clothes, my hair, accent and “anything else irrelevant. I was very upset to hear this and I think it’s the sad truth that people when women play chess often overlook how good they really are, the games they play and their strength.”
She added:
“I was quite disappointed to see how everything was talked about in my interviews (by the audience), except my games, very few people paid attention to it and it’s quite sad.”
Tata Steel Chess posted three interviews with Deshmukh on YouTube during the tournament and later removed sexist comments beneath the videos. Chess coach and YouTuber WIM Yosha Iglesias expressed the reactions on X/Twitter.
The comments on Divya’s interviews are full of men insulting her and literally debating whether they are pedophiles for having sexual desire for a petite 18 year old girl. @tatasteelchess She doesn’t moderate these comments and the general managers tell her not to complain and be grateful.
🤮 https://t.co/Ff2KhuTkby—Yosha Iglesias (@IglesiasYosha) January 29, 2024
The 2022 Indian women’s champion expressed her frustration facing such comments and said that this is not the first time she has experienced it.
“I felt it was unfair in a way because if I went to any guy’s interview there would be a lot less judgment on a personal level, real praise about the game and the player. I feel like women are unappreciated and everything irrelevant is focused on and hated, while men would probably get away with the same things. I think women face this every day and I’m only 18 years old. Over the years I have faced a lot of judgment, including hate, for things that don’t even matter. “I think women should start getting the same respect.”
In a follow-up comment to her post, she said: “Everyone tells me to ignore it and focus on my games, yes I do and block it but that doesn’t mean I have to stay quiet about it!”
The Instagram post has received more than 10,000 likes to date.
YouTube star GothamChess called it “extremely sad,” while WGM Jennifer Shahade praised Deshmukh for calling out misogynistic comments:
Abusive and misogynistic chats and comments are a serious problem and it’s great that Divya has pointed this out as it should set a new standard.
Can’t you moderate it properly?
Do not allow comments/live chat. https://t.co/jwgmgU2wX6
—Jennifer Shahade (@JenShahade) January 29, 2024
Tata Steel Chess chief organizer Jeroen van den Berg told Chess.com that he personally contacted Deshmukh after the Instagram post.
The following statement has been published on social networks.
The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 was unforgettable. More than ever, our tournament is known for our invitation policy. The best chess players in the world meet here with the best emerging talents. This resulted in wonderful games with lots of combative chess and only a few draws.
Because we are an open tournament, both men and women play. Completely obvious to us, but apparently not to other people. This is evident when you read our participant Divya Deshmukh’s message.
As a leading tournament, we remain committed to promoting women in chess and ensuring a safe and equal sporting environment. Step by step, but we will get there.
in a post on X/Twitter Addressing Indian media, Deshmukh said he in no way blames the organizers for the comments. “I wanted to convey that Tata Steel and Wijk have nothing to do with this. I was super grateful to be there and play there and I don’t appreciate any bad publicity for them with my name.”
“I didn’t blame the viewers either.” “All the viewers I met were extremely kind and I would ask that dramatic headlines not be made with what I said just for the views and reach,” she said.
This is not the first time that women have denounced sexist behavior in the world of chess. Chess.com published several shocking stories last year, ranging from misogynistic comments to sexual violence and rape.
In August, a group of French players got fed up and published an open letter denouncing this behavior. “To anyone who has experienced sexist or sexual violence, we want to say: you are not alone. We believe you. We will be there to help you.”
Several episodes led to the creation of a new Women in Chess Foundation, willing to act against sexism, misogynistic behavior and sexual harassment towards female players.
Its founder and CEO, Emilia Castelao, told Chess.com that they sympathize with Deshmukh:
“This is an experience we are seeing with so many women in the chess world and it is extremely disappointing to see those who are also passionate about chess belittle other players in this way.”
“We recognize that it is really difficult to be on top of moderating comments like this, but they can be very upsetting to players and we think it is an area where tournaments need to be vigilant, especially if they have social media teams. Tata Steel A statement to the respect and support for Divya definitely leads the way for other tournaments, but we still have a long way to go.”
Women in Chess joined the chess community in praising Deshmukh for speaking out.
“Not only does it encourage other women to tell their stories, but it also allows us to highlight these issues and ensure accountability takes place. Our organization has brought the issue of comment moderation to your attention and we hope to improve the things in the future. “We are very grateful for Divya and her courage and we are very excited to see many amazing games from her in the future,” Castelao said.