Why are sports teams segregated by gender?

[Yupster]

102. Nah, If you're a chessplayer

you learned long ago not to take anyone's looks or age or sex for granted.

Many top players become grandmasters at age 15 or less.

If losing to a girl or a kid upsets you, you won't be a tournament level chessplayer for long. Go to any local chess club for the first time and you are likely to be greeted first by a 10 year old who will probably beat you and then feel real good about it.

PS -a story on this topic, about 5 years ago I was representing my city in a city versus city league we had going for a while. I was playing Tommy Polgar, the son of four time Woman's World Champion Susan Polgar. Anyway, it was a very complicated game and I thought I saw a combination which would win me material. It worked and when the wreckage cleared from the exchanges I had two knights for a rook, a not huge but significant advantage. Problem was I was now down to four minutes left on my clock and he had over 15 minutes. Maneuvering two knights in a complicated position in time trouble was going to be a challenge. I was sweating.

Then, Tommy offered me a draw. Arrgghh. I was ahead and we were going to lose this match badly. This was a point we needed because there weren't going to be many of them. But can I maneuver two knights without making a blunder in time trouble? Would I lose on time? Will I lose wasting my time thinking about whether to accept the draw or not. I took the draw. Still bugs me today.

Oh, I was about 50 years old at the time which would have made Tommy 7 or 8? Since then my play has declined. Somehow I doubt his has.