It was during the match between Jekaterina Lagno and Zhu Liner, 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 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 Smirin said in the video. 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. He won’t get that. On Wednesday, FIDE issued a press release, in which they wrote this: – Although we have a lot of respect for grandmaster Ilya Smirin as a chess player, he showed a point of view on the air that was completely unacceptable, noisy, and that does not represent the values FIDE stands for, it stands between another. Furthermore, the association stated that grand master Smirin has finished as Fide commentator with immediate effect. 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 women’s 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. Nevertheless, 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 thought that one might as well have two female commentators during a tournament like this. – I see no reason not to have it, he says. Susan Polgar, Olympic champion and world champion in chess, thanks Fide for handling 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 Ilya Smirin after sexist remarks – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
