Yosha Iglesias, the highest-ranking out transgender woman in competitive chess, has officially met all the requirements for the coveted title of International Master — less than half a year after the game’s international governing body passed a set of draconian new anti-trans rules.
Iglesias, 36, met the final criteria at an international women’s chess tournament held in Rouen, France on December 30, Chess.com reported. To become a Woman International Master (WIM), a player must attain a ranking of at least 2400 points in games sanctioned by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and attain four “norms,” a term for high-ranking results in different grandmaster-level competitions. Although Iglesias finished in second place in December’s tournament, her results still qualified as a fourth norm, allowing her to meet the criteria for chess’s second-highest honor.
“I am exhausted, but so relieved and happy,” Iglesias told Chess.com.
Iglesias must now submit her WIM qualifications to FIDE for official approval, which appears likely but not necessarily assured. In August, FIDE abruptly announced bizarre new regulations saying trans women have “no right to participate” in FIDE-run women’s chess competitions until a more comprehensive policy is solidified in 2025. The regulations also “abolish” any women’s titles held by trans men who have since changed their legal gender, but allow them to convert those titles “into a general title of the same or lower level” in FIDE’s open category.
When asked by the BBC for further explanation last year, a FIDE spokesperson said the organization would perform a “comprehensive analysis to understand the impact of various factors, including but not limited to, the role of testosterone levels, on chess performance.”
Backlash to FIDE’s new regulations was swift and severe. Jennifer Shahade, a Women’s Grandmaster and two-time U.S. Women’s Champion, told Chess.com at the time the rules were “ridiculous and dangerous,” while Iglesias herself called them “appalling” in a series of social media posts. Several national chess organizations oppose the rules and say they will continue to certify trans players’ lived gender identities. The German Chess Federation released a statement in August clarifying trans women will still be allowed to compete alongside cis women, and that the organization has “serious concerns” as to whether FIDE’s rules comply with various international laws.