Chess dress addressed

Dress codes are nothing new in chess. Many top-level events--which are populated almost exclusively by men--sport requirements that participants wear a jacket and tie or similarly dignified attire. This is usually at the behest of the sponsors, who appreciate the image of professionalism that this projects. The recently concluded European Individual Women's Chess Championship, though, featured a unique response on participants' fashion choices.

The event, which was held in Gaziantep, Turkey, and won by Russian International Master Valentina Gunina, sported a "two button rule." As reported by Chessbase, and picked up by the NY Daily News, the participants were permitted to unbutton their shirts no more than two buttons from the top. Furthermore, skirts could be a maximum of ten centimeters above the knee (longer garments were, of course, allowed).

The reason for the new regulation, according to European Chess Union General Secretary Sava Stoisavljevic, is to curb crude remarks coming from the spectators. This is yet another example of a women's sport trying to find the balance between marketing itself through the quality of the game and simply trading on sex appeal. It's not an easy balance to strike--after all, if playing up participants' physical appearance were ineffective, it would have been abandoned long ago--but I can't help but think this is another example of legislation replacing common sense. Having said that, though, there would be no need for such legislation if common sense were in the driver's seat.

My favorite element of the new dress code? The rule banning excessive body odor. Now that is a rule long overdue.