It's possible that the World Chess Federation (FIDE) has begun awarding its titles to black Africans upon reduced minimum criteria. A Ugandan young woman has acquired not only a FIDE title that she doesn't really deserve, but also international celebrity status as the result of a Disney movie being made about her "success" in life and in chess.
Why doesn't Phiona Mutesi deserve the title she was granted during the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012? It's very simple. Until quite recently, the World Chess Federation has determined whom to grant chess titles on the basis of their world Elo rating for standard chess. Phiona has an Elo of 1622, which indicates that her true strength as a chess player is about the same as that of an average player in a small town chess club in the United States. She could go into a tavern in a white country and, playing the local talent, she might win half of her chess games.
But she's a far, far cry from being as skilled in chess as any true champion player.
Garry Kasparov was being nice to her when, during a show-game he played with her, which he won, he pretended the need to think very hard, creating with his posture and his facial expression the impression that it was a difficult game for him. What a gentleman he is! But it was also a deception. Kasparov could have beaten her while hungover and hanging upside down by his heels, and maybe without even seeing the chess board.
Uganda's reigning women chess champion, Claire Ivy Amoko, has an Elo of 1822.
Both Phiona and Ivy were awarded the FIDE titles. Phiona holds that of Woman Candidate Master, and Ivy holds that of Woman FIDE Master.
But for a long time, the World Chess Federation required that a female player have a minimum Elo rating of 2000 for its lowest title of Woman Candidate Master. And the minimum Elo rating for Woman FIDE Master has been 2100.
Neither Phiona Mutesi nor Ivy Amoko qualifies for the titles they were given by the World Chess Federation, which appears to be doing substantial reach-downs in order to grant titles to black Africans.
There's another example of this practice. A black South African named Kenny Solomon holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster. His Elo rating is 2371. But the stated minimum Elo to qualify for Grandmaster, for anyone who isn't a black African, is 2500.
Apparently, though, if you are a black African, then FIDE will give you a title that normally requires an Elo rating 200 to 400 points higher than the rating that you actually have.
There's a white boy somewhere in New York. His name is Nicholas Checa. His world Elo rating for standard chess is 2421. He holds (honestly) the World Chess Federation's title of FIDE Master, and he could probably acquire the title of International Master by playing in a few FIDE-approved chess tournaments. He's a better player than is ANYONE in Uganda, whose national champion, Arthur Ssegwanyi, has an Elo score of only 2365.
If, instead of being a white American, Nicholas Checa were a black African, then FIDE would offer him a Grandmaster's title, just as it did with Kenny Solomon. But, of course, he's white, and for whites the standards must be maintained.
It's possible that the World Chess Federation (FIDE) has begun awarding its titles to black Africans upon reduced minimum criteria. A Ugandan young woman has acquired not only a FIDE title that she doesn't really deserve, but also international celebrity status as the result of a Disney movie being made about her "success" in life and in chess.
Why doesn't Phiona Mutesi deserve the title she was granted during the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012? It's very simple. Until quite recently, the World Chess Federation has determined whom to grant chess titles on the basis of their world Elo rating for standard chess. Phiona has an Elo of 1622, which indicates that her true strength as a chess player is about the same as that of an average player in a small town chess club in the United States. She could go into a tavern in a white country and, playing the local talent, she might win half of her chess games.
But she's a far, far cry from being as skilled in chess as any true champion player.
Garry Kasparov was being nice to her when, during a show-game he played with her, which he won, he pretended the need to think very hard, creating with his posture and his facial expression the impression that it was a difficult game for him. What a gentleman he is! But it was also a deception. Kasparov could have beaten her while hungover and hanging upside down by his heels, and maybe without even seeing the chess board.
Uganda's reigning women chess champion, Claire Ivy Amoko, has an Elo of 1822.
Both Phiona and Ivy were awarded the FIDE titles. Phiona holds that of Woman Candidate Master, and Ivy holds that of Woman FIDE Master.
But for a long time, the World Chess Federation required that a female player have a minimum Elo rating of 2000 for its lowest title of Woman Candidate Master. And the minimum Elo rating for Woman FIDE Master has been 2100.
Neither Phiona Mutesi nor Ivy Amoko qualifies for the titles they were given by the World Chess Federation, which appears to be doing substantial reach-downs in order to grant titles to black Africans.
There's another example of this practice. A black South African named Kenny Solomon holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster. His Elo rating is 2371. But the stated minimum Elo to qualify for Grandmaster, for anyone who isn't a black African, is 2500.
Apparently, though, if you are a black African, then FIDE will give you a title that normally requires an Elo rating 200 to 400 points higher than the rating that you actually have.
There's a white boy somewhere in New York. His name is Nicholas Checa. His world Elo rating for standard chess is 2421. He holds (honestly) the World Chess Federation's title of FIDE Master, and he could probably acquire the title of International Master by playing in a few FIDE-approved chess tournaments. He's a better player than is ANYONE in Uganda, whose national champion, Arthur Ssegwanyi, has an Elo score of only 2365.
If, instead of being a white American, Nicholas Checa were a black African, then FIDE would offer him a Grandmaster's title, just as it did with Kenny Solomon. But, of course, he's white, and for whites the standards must be maintained.