(05-04-2023, 06:19 AM)The Real Marty Wrote:

(05-04-2023, 06:09 AM)mikesez Wrote: The justification I see is, much fewer women are interested in trying those sports, and it can be very discouraging for the women who do try because they have so much less practice.  A women's division in poker or chess can give women a space to build up their skills and confidence and then give the next generation some role models.  But I agree that, unlike soccer or MMA, women's divisions in poker and chess should be temporary things.  Once they meet their goals, if they ever do, they will no longer be needed

No, I disagree with the notion that women need a space to build up their confidence and skills in chess or poker.  How are they different from any man who also needs to build up his skills and confidence?  In the meantime, as they play in their restricted spaces, they look like they're admitting they are inherently inferior.  There's a lot of debate in the chess world about whether they should have "women's grandmasters" or a "women's world champion."  I've seen a lot of youtube videos of women playing really good to great chess, and they don't seem to lack confidence or skills.  There's a famous chess grandmaster, Judit Polgar, who refused to play women-only tournaments.  She saw them as demeaning.