Chess rule designed to increase female participation forces all-women team to recruit a man

The UK’s only all-women chess team has been told it must recruit a male player after earning promotion to the country’s top division. The 4NCL requires every team in its top division to include at least one male and one female player. The rule was introduced to increase female participation in chess, where women account for only around 11% of top-rated players. All-women chess team says rule defeats its purposeLorin D’Costa, who founded She Plays to Win during the pandemic, said the requirement risks taking away what made the team unique. “Indeed, we believe that by requiring all teams in the top division to have at least one female player we actively encourage female participation in chess.”