The world chess federation may have torpedoed its ambition to take the game into the Olympics after a row over forcing female players to wear hijabs, it emerged today.

Fide, the 185-nation federation in charge of the game, enraged Grandmasters when it awarded the next year's Women's World Championship to Iran, a country which has a strict Islamic dress code.

Several top players, including US champion Nazi Paikidze, responded by saying they would boycott February's tournament rather than wear the "sexist" headscarves.