Jennifer Shahade: There's a long and embedded history of abuse in chess'

"Currently there are multiple investigations [into] Alejandro Ramirez and sexual misconduct, including a series of alleged incidents involving a minor. I was assaulted by him twice, nine and 10 years ago. I'd moved on until the past couple of years when multiple women, independent of each other, and with no knowledge of my own experience, approached me with their own stories of alleged abuse."

"If you count the women who talked to me about other men the number is much, much higher. Some men reached out to me as well. To talk about sexual abuse? Yes, by different chess players, coaches and grandmasters. I was not only proud of what I did, but also proud that people had so much trust in me."

On February 15, 2023, two-time US women's chess champion Jennifer Shahade posted on social media alleging sexual assault by grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez, who coached at St Louis University and worked as a chess commentator. Shahade disclosed she was assaulted twice by Ramirez nine and ten years prior, and that multiple younger women had independently approached her with their own abuse allegations. Her viral post prompted eight additional women to contact her with allegations against Ramirez, while others shared experiences with different chess players, coaches, and grandmasters. Ramirez responded by acknowledging the concerns and stating he was cooperating with investigations by the US Chess Federation and St Louis Chess Club. Shahade expressed pride in the trust people placed in her to share their experiences.

Read at www.theguardian.com