WGM title should be abolished: Vaishali | Chess News - Times of India

Q. Judit Polgar recently said women’s titles should be abolished. What’s you take? Vaishali: I completely agree with her. Early in my career, I felt that titles like WIM and WGM can create a false sense of achievement. In the open category, these titles don’t hold much value and can demotivate players from aiming for the GM title. These titles were initially introduced by FIDE to encourage women’s participation, but we now have many girls actively playing chess. Removing these titles could inspire more women to compete directly for GM titles and test their strengths against male players. Q Speaking of testing strengths, how do you feel about competing against male players? Vaishali: A few months ago, I took part in the Chennai Grand Masters event, where I played against men. It was an excellent opportunity for me to find my strengths and weaknesses. Playing against strong male players has helped me understand where I stand and what I need to work on. I didn’t fare too well, it was still a valuable learning experience.