A 17-year-old trans girl in Germany just secured a major chess victory—and some folks are losing their minds over it.
Nora Heidemann clinched the title at the under-18 girls’ chess championship in North Rhine-Westphalia last month, scoring an impressive 7.5 out of 9 and outsmarting 27 other players. But instead of celebrating her triumph, critics have hijacked the moment to fuel anti-trans hysteria—because of course they have.
One of the loudest voices in the room is Nadja Jussupow, the 55-year-old head of the women’s chess commission in Germany, who decided to toss logic out the window and argue that Heidemann shouldn’t have competed. Why? According to Jussupow, “they haven’t undergone treatment or anything.” Never mind that chess is a brain game, not a brawn sport—apparently some folks are convinced testosterone plays a role in checkmates now.
She doubled down on the pseudoscience, claiming male players have more “stamina” in long matches thanks to hormones, and mused about why girls might not be as focused on chess. “Maybe it’s because puberty starts earlier in girls,” she speculated. “Or because girls… are more focused on school.” Yes, that’s a real quote.
It gets worse. Jussupow insisted that there’s a “natural” gap between male and female players, even though actual evidence doesn’t back that up. In her view, girls are just “two classes below,” because, well… reasons.
Thankfully, the German Chess Federation wasn’t having it. Officials reiterated their commitment to a “diverse and inclusive” playing field and made it clear they’re not banning trans players anytime soon. Which, in the world of European sports lately, is sadly a bold move.
But the backlash doesn’t end there. International chess bodies have already dabbled in trans exclusion. Just last year, the global chess authority FIDE proposed a two-year ban on trans women from participating in official women’s events—again, in a game where the only muscles that matter are in your head.
What Nora Heidemann’s win represents is far bigger than a trophy. It’s a bright, smart trans teen proving that inclusion doesn’t undermine competition—it elevates it. Her success challenges tired old narratives that claim trans people are somehow intruding on others’ spaces. In truth, she earned her place at the board—fair and square—and she’s playing by the same rules as everyone else.
Instead of debating whether girls like Nora belong in tournaments, the real question should be: why are grown adults so threatened by a teenager with a queen’s gambit and a winning streak? In a world full of exclusion, Nora just showed us how to make the next move count.
And spoiler alert: it’s love and inclusion, not checkmate.