I used to follow professional chess much more closely than I do now and let me tell you, it's like racist gamer-nerd culture only WORSE because chess is "The Game of Kings" and thus the game inspires an unequalled degree of egotism in its worshippers. also it's a game, but it's a game that the really hardcore fans regard as a sport, like playing chess was equivalent to running races or being good at skating or whatever.
then there's the Bobby Fischer fandom, which I think ought to be regarded as something somewhat distinct from being an actual chess fan, because Bobby Fischer tried to destroy chess.
fuck FIDE. they've segregated chess according to genitalia; all the usual excuses that are trotted out for why there's some good reason for segregating real actual sports according to genitalia don't apply to chess but gosh darn it somehow all those reasons apply to chess anyway!
~Chara