Female chess players, put away your two castles: The European Chess Union just released some new dress code rules for chess players, and they include some strict policies on cleavage.
ChessBase.com (a great chess website, we're told) has an interview with Sava Stoisavljevic, General Secretary of the ECU, who speaks out on the new rules that the group has adopted, which are already being enforced at the European Women's Individual Chess Championship happening now in Turkey:
Only two buttons may be opened on women's dress shirts, and some companies even mandate on female competitors' hemlines, she said:
Décolletés are partly covered in our regulations, which state that in respect to shirts the second from the top button may also be opened, in addition to the very top button. But, nothing is written in our rules about the length of skirts or dresses. There are several special rules in some companies which put restrictions on the length of skirts and dresses – no shorter than 5-10 cm above the knees for example. I can see that there are many players here who wear very short skirts. It's nice to see chess players with short skirts – they are very pretty girls. But I believe there should still be some limit.
Stoisavljevic says the new regulations came about because spectators were making comments on female competitors' outfits, and not due to complaints from distracted male players who faltered in their game while seated across from a comely female opponent.
And the penalty is steep. According to the official rules: "A player not dressed according to the Code can be refused to attend the opening or closing ceremony."
The US Chess Federation doesn't appear to have any similar regulations, but we've contacted them to be sure. So for now, ladies who want to kick ass in chess without sacrificing your spaghetti straps, you might be safe to play on American soil.
Click over to ChessBase to read more about why Stoisavljevic says the new rules might be needed.