Russian reappearance in chess provokes European complaints
(MENAFN) The European Chess Union (ECU) has voiced strong opposition to the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) recent decision to allow the Russian women’s team to participate—under a neutral flag—in the 2025 World Team Championship in Spain. The ECU argues this move violates the sanctions framework established at the 2024 FIDE General Assembly held in Budapest.
FIDE had initially barred Russian and Belarusian teams from competitions in March 2022, following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. While individual players from both countries were permitted to compete under neutral status, national teams remained excluded—until now. The new decision allows the Russian women's team to compete in Linares without any national symbols, under the FIDE flag.
The ECU contends that while certain exceptions were made for "vulnerable groups" like minors and players with disabilities, these exemptions were not intended to apply to entire national teams. “This decision directly contradicts the most recent decisions of the FIDE General Assembly,” the ECU stated.
Representing 54 national chess federations, the ECU urged FIDE to uphold existing sanctions, asserting that the reasons for the 2022 ban remain unresolved and team participation should remain suspended until further notice.
FIDE defended the move, saying it is in line with International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidance, reflects similar actions by other sporting bodies, and builds on earlier allowances for vulnerable groups. FIDE added that the Russian team’s participation is conditional on a non-objection letter from the IOC.
Responding to the criticism, Russian Chess Federation Executive Director Aleksandr Tkachev dismissed the backlash as expected, saying it highlighted the rationale behind Russia’s recent move to the Asian Chess Federation—where, he claimed, “politics is kept out of sports.” He also argued that the complaints represent a minority view among European officials, not the broader chess community, where Russian players continue to compete individually without issue.
Russian authorities have long accused Western countries of politicizing international sports and pressuring organizations like FIDE to isolate Russian athletes. Moscow also believes Ukraine and its allies have influenced chess governance decisions.
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