Indian international player Divya Deshmukh accuses Tata Steel Masters spectators of sexism

Chess player Divya Deshmukh from India has accused the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands, of being subjected to misogynistic behavior by onlookers who “focused on irrelevant things like her hair, clothes, and accent.”

The 18-year-old Nagpur International Master, who took home the Asian women’s chess championship the previous year, wrote a long social media post detailing her bad experience in Wijk Aan Zee and criticizing the sexism that female players often encounter.

“I was waiting for my tournament to end before I addressed this, but I’ve been wanting to for a long. I’ve seen and been informed that women in chess are often ignored by onlookers, Deshmukh said.

The most recent instance of this on a personal level occurred during this tournament, when I participated in a couple games that I thought were excellent and of which I was pleased.

She posted on Instagram on Sunday, saying, “I got told by people how the audience was not even bothered with the game but instead focused on every single possible thing in the world: my clothes, hair, accent, and every other irrelevant thing.”

Deshmukh had a score of 4.5 in the Tata Steel Masters, placing him 12th in the Challengers division.

The adolescent said that whereas male chess players received recognition solely on their skills, female players were assessed based on other factors.

“I was pretty upset to hear this, and I believe it’s the sad truth that people often underestimate women’s abilities, strength, and game play when they play chess,” the woman said.

“I was very upset to see how the audience addressed everything we spoke about in my interviews, with the exception of my games. It’s a terrible thing that not many people paid attention to it.

She said, “I felt it was unfair because if I went to any guy’s interview, there would be actual compliments about the game and the player, and there would be way less judgement on a personal level.”

Even with advancements in compensation, female athletes continue to face discriminatory treatment and inquiries over their attire.

According to Deshmukh, female athletes often get little recognition and face discrimination.

“…every insignificant thing is emphasized and detested, but men would probably get away with the same things.” I believe that women deal with this every day, and I’m just eighteen.

“Over the years, I have encountered a great deal of anger and judgment over little matters. She said, “I believe that women should be treated with equal respect.