wrote in message
oups.com...
A STRANGE CASE

For a discussion of women in chess and a photo of a supermodel gracing
the cover of VOGUE who is president of the Estonian Chess Federation
see--

http://wcn.tentonhammer.com/modules....cle&sid= 1063

Larry, you are late to appreciate Carmen Kass, who as well as being a
model - nude sometimes - has also run for the European Parliament. This is
a rather demur picture of Carmen. And this, IMO, is the choice women make
these days, much as Kosteniuk does - to capitalise on one's outer
attributes, and then, since our attention is mostly there, and only then, to
the inner person, who we are dissapointed to know is much as we are.

Many women do not like this male-attention gaining strategm. Though of
course, it is no business of we men to comment on how they should be, and if
such //very highly intelligent// women as Carmen K gain our attention this
way, then the last thing we should do is blame her for it like C17th witch
hunters who made us do it. Instead we might consider we are so societally
dense that we discard the person before hearing her truth.

I know that J. Polgar wonders if this presentation is best, and I also think
S. Polgar shares the same reservation. Jenn Shahade is younger [my
daughter's age], and equitably takes in both traditional female reservations
and also the glamour side of things, with, so I think, an inquiring mind to
what furthers women - not so much in chess as in society, as equitable
partners to it.

umo wrote:
Chess Bitch, is written by Jennifer Shahade. She is the 2004 U.S.
Woman's Chess Champion. Her book is her complaining about the bias
against women in the world of Chess. Why is there a women's division in
Chess. Why cant they compete successfully against men in head to head
competition.

And of course 'they' can, and do. Judit Polgar is #8 or #7 in the world, and
her big sister bust the mold by being the first to qualifiy for the 'Men's'
Championship. Not bad for one family!

In a brief interview with Shahade at Chessville about the reception of her
book, rather than the book itself, she says on her own behalf and for some
other women players, that it is simply more enjoyable to play among other
women than suffer the often emotional-teenage attentions of many men - and
sometimes it is worse than that!

I personally think that Shahade keeps an open mind on these things, and is
no Victorian girl with double standards, and more an All-American Bruce
Sprinstein Girl-Next-Door type, who will tell you straight about how it is
if you have the cojones to listen

That, Sir, is the question.

Phil Innes