FIDE suspends Russian Chess Federation

The Ethics Commission of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has suspended the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) for two years following a complaint from Ukraine, News.az reports, citing RBC.

The reason for the RCF's suspension, as noted by FIDE, is that the Russian organization included chess clubs from the territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions occupied by Russian troops, as well as annexed Crimea.

RBC clarified that the complaint submitted to the FIDE Ethics Commission by the Ukrainian Chess Federation, with input from Ukrainian grandmaster Andriy Baryshpolets and Magnus Carlsen's trainer, Heine Nielsen, indicates that the RCF is associated with individuals under international sanctions.

Alexander Tkachev, the executive director of the RCF, stated that the federation intends to appeal this decision. Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, noted that Russia considers FIDE's decision "unfair" and expressed hope that it was made due to a "misunderstanding" that can be resolved.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Chess Federation recommended that members of the national team refrain from shaking hands with Russian and Belarusian athletes, regardless of the flag under which they compete.

News.Az