FIDE suspended the Russian Chess Federation’s membership in the organization

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

FIDE cites the reason for suspending the RCF as being that the Russian organization included chess clubs from the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson occupied by Russian troops, as well as the annexed Crimea.

RBC clarified that the complaint filed by the Ukrainian Chess Federation with the FIDE Ethics Commission with contributions from Ukrainian grandmaster Andriy Baryshpolets and Magnus Carlsen’s coach Heine Nielsen indicates that the RCF is associated with persons subject to international sanctions.

Alexander Tkachev, the RCF’s executive director, stated that the federation intends to appeal the decision. Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, noted that Russia considers FIDE’s decision “unfair” and expressed hope that it was based on a “misunderstanding” that could be cleared up.

Previously, the Ukrainian Chess Federation had recommended that members of the national team not shake hands with Russian and Belarusian athletes, regardless of the flag under which they compete.

News.Az