Fide sparks anger with ‘gross’ breast enlargement sponsor for women’s chess

[Paolo Casaschi]

This has been reported already on the "media comments on chess" thread but definitely deserves its own thread.

Fide sparks anger with ‘gross’ breast enlargement sponsor for women’s chess

This is the FIDE announcement https://www.fide.com/news/1351

It would be good to know who in FIDE decided about this sponsorship.

[JustinHorton]

lichess

[Phil Makepeace]

The Chess Pit - main discussion of this is from 13:28 - 42:07.

[Roger de Coverly]

Does the ECF have a view on this? Perhaps the Director of Women's chess could express an opinion.

[John Upham]

and this from the spoof Hastings Chess Club web site


http://hastingschessclub.co.uk/how-some ... mentation/

[John Upham]

including this garbage:

A Better Fitting Chess Playing Outfit
When playing chess, the person has to wear clothes that both look good and feel comfortable. This can be easier said than done if their body shape has an unflattering fit. Presenting a professional appearance is a common aspect of the game. Even some versions of online chess may require the player to appear on camera. Augmentation allows women to choose a new body shape that fits better in the clothes they want to wear.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Whose brilliant idea was this? We need to know.

[John Upham]

It would be good to know who in FIDE decided about this sponsorship.

Perhaps it would be a combination of

FIDE Marketing Director
Verdoia, Marco

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Llada, David

Marketing and Sales Director for CIS
Kushnir, Karina

but I am merely speculating.

[Mick Norris]

Neatly encapsulating why it is so difficult to get sponsorship into Chess, when FIDE make such alliances

[Kevin Thurlow]

I agree it's an unusual choice, but chess has accepted sponsorship from alcohol companies, dodgy financial institutions etc. Sponsorship is hard to find, so I imagine they decided to take what was going. If I had been the FIDE contact, I would have asked lots of people what they thought, but I would do that whoever the sponsor was...

How about :-

Pfizer?
Chessbase?
Anyone from Saudi Arabia?

[David Sedgwick]

Does the ECF have a view on this? Perhaps the Director of Women's chess could express an opinion.

There is now a statement from Chris Fegan at https://britishchessnews.com/2021/10/02 ... ship-deal/.

I hope that readers will concentrate on the content of this statement rather than on its authorship.

[MJMcCready]

I agree it's an unusual choice, but chess has accepted sponsorship from alcohol companies, dodgy financial institutions etc. Sponsorship is hard to find, so I imagine they decided to take what was going. If I had been the FIDE contact, I would have asked lots of people what they thought, but I would do that whoever the sponsor was...

How about :-

Pfizer?
Chessbase?
Anyone from Saudi Arabia?

Money talks to FIDE, they even sent contenders for the title of world champion of to Libya once, after successfully scrounging some money of that dictator of theirs.

[NickFaulks]

In the strange times we inhabit, I'm not sure how you are supposed to find a sponsor who doesn't give offence to someone.

[JustinHorton]

Maybe but selecting a sponsor for women's chess that gives offence to women is kind of special don't you think

[NickFaulks]

Maybe but selecting a sponsor for women's chess that gives offence to women is kind of special don't you think

Quite clearly it gives offence only to some women, since many others are very enthusiastic about it. Would a cosmetics manufacturer be acceptable?