It was during the match between Jekaterina Lagno and Zhu Liner on Tuesday, when Smirin shared insulting and inappropriate remarks against female chess players. The comment went viral in a video clip published on Twitter, and now the chess community is shaken. – What the hell? It’s brutal. It must be really uncomfortable for Fiona to handle it there. It is reasonably rough, says Hikaru Nakamura in a YouTube video where he addresses the situation. SURPRISE: Hikaru Nakamura. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB Condescending towards players In the video published by Grandmaster Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, who represents the USA, it all started with commentator Fiona Steil-Antoni asking if Zhu Liner has a chance of getting the title of Grandmaster during the tournament. In the conversation, Smirin asks, among other things, why women can play with men, while men cannot play in a women’s tournament. It ends with Steil-Antoni saying this: – Are you saying that chess is not for women? – I didn’t say that openly. Sorry, I meant that privately. These were just some of the words the grand master said in the video. news has not succeeded in getting in touch with Smirin. Photo: Screenshot @Gulruhbegim 28/09/2022 Terminate the collaboration Shortly after the video clip began to circulate on social media, the director of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Emil Sutovsky, wrote that he had spoken to Smirin, who laid low and wanted to apologize publicly on the air. It doesn’t happen. On Wednesday, FIDE issued a press release stating that Smirin has finished as a commentator following his performance during the tournament. – Although we have a lot of respect for Grandmaster Ilja Smirin as a chess player, he showed views on the air that were completely unacceptable, noisy, and that do not represent the values FIDE stands for, it says among other things. Furthermore, the association wrote that they strive to change the perception of chess as “a man’s worth”. – Our environment should be a place where women should feel safe and respected, it says. Commentator Fiona Steil-Antoni has herself commented on the incident on Twitter. – I wish I never had to hear, or respond to, many of these comments, but I hope that this will show the way for a broadcasting world free of sexist comments, she writes. – No sensation news’s chess expert Torstein Bae is happy that the International Chess Federation has taken action. – I am very happy that it was dealt with so promptly. It is positive, and it was an orderly and good handling, says Bae to news. RYSTA: Torstein Bae Photo: Erik Johansen / NTB Nevertheless, he thinks it is disturbing that a man with such attitudes towards female chess became a commentator in the first place. – It is subject to criticism. He actually says that chess is not a game for women. How they managed to choose such a type is absolutely incredible, he says. He is not surprised by the attitude. – However, this is not a sensation that someone makes such statements against women. I am missing a solution to this internationally, but we have to believe that this is the starting point for it, he says. The chess community reacts Stormeister Hikaru Nakamura took himself several times to the head in his YouTube video published on the subject. – This is horrible and unacceptable. Don’t get me wrong, I have played against Smirin and have a lot of respect for him, but these comments are unacceptable. It’s horrible and horrible. How can someone read such comments and think that it is okay? I really can’t understand that, he says. He believes that one should rather have two female commentators. – I see no reason not to have it, he says. Susan Polgar, Olympic champion and world champion in chess, thanks Fide for the way they handled the situation. She thought the comment was way over the line. – It is shockingly unacceptable, he wrote, among other things, on Twitter. BIG PROFILE: Susan Polgar. Photo: J. PAT CARTER / AP
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FIDE fires commentator Ilja Smirin after sexist remarks – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
