GM Ilya Smirin fired by FIDE for sexism at the Women’s Grand Prix

A Belarusian-born Israeli chess grandmaster Ilya Smirin was sacked by FIDE for making inappropriate sexist comments during a live broadcast of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Astana, Kazakhstan.

During FIDE Women’s Grand Prix was Smirin working as an English-language commentator alongside WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni from Luxemburg.

The remarks were made during the ninth round after one viewer asked if one of the players (WGM Zhu Jiner who had 5/9 points with 2 more rounds to go) can make a GM norm in this women-only tournament on which Smirin answered: ‘She’s a woman grandmaster or what? Why does she want to be like men grandmasters in this case?’ then he added: ‘It’s possible basically to make a man norm in a woman tournament?’

Getting a grandmaster norm has nothing to do with the gender of the players in the tournament only with reaching a certain performance and the opponents must include a certain number of grandmasters. So Steil-Antoni answered: ‘Of course, why not?’

Later in the conversation, he also said: ‘I don’t know. For instance, why women can play with men, and men cannot play with women? Today it would be like everyone for parity!’

Steil-Antoni: ‘But you cannot, I mean, you’re saying chess is maybe not for women…’

‘I didn’t say it openly, sorry. Private conversation,…’ he answered while laughing.

Earlier in that tournament, he also said that GM Aleksandra Goryachkina is playing like a man, meaning it as a compliment of her chess skills.

Several female chess players reacted to those remarks. For example, Susan Polgar called for a public apology and for him to be fired for ‘highly insulting’ comments.

Woman grandmaster Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova tweeted: ‘Isn’t it a pure form of discrimination? How can such a man work in the official @FIDE_chess broadcast of such an important women’s event?’

Also, US women’s chess champion Jennifer Shahade expressed her opinion: ‘Gross to see such sexism in the broadcast for a women’s event… Fiona did a great job in an uncomfortable conversation she never should have been in.’

After this, the International Chess Federation apologised and made an official statement in which they sacked Smirin from working for them: ‘Although we have great respect for Grandmaster Ilya Smirin as a chess player, the views he expressed on air are completely unacceptable, offensive, and do not represent any of the values that FIDE stands for. Therefore, we unreservedly apologise to all those who were offended. Additionally, Smirin will not continue as a FIDE commentator with immediate effect.’

They also added: ‘FIDE not only strives to increase women’s representation in professional sports and official positions but also to change the perception of chess as purely a men’s world. Our community has to be a place where women feel safe and respected. Therefore, any action that carries disrespect, sexism or physical, verbal or emotional assault is unacceptable.’

Smirin did not approve this reaction of FIDE and said: ‘But what I said during the broadcasts was perhaps slightly impolite, but nothing more. And most of it clearly was a joke. If we will continue like that, the very words ‘man’ and ‘woman’ risk disappearing rather soon. I want to stress that I did not want to hurt anyone. I love and respect chess and women. And I do not like hypocrisy.’

But he also added that he understands the decision of FIDE to suspend him from commenting.

GM Pavel Tregubov replaced Smirin as the commentator for the last rounds.

Author

LUCIA ŠEVČÍKOVÁ