Russian chess players allowed to participate in international tournaments with state symbols
Фото: pixabay
The International Chess Federation has allowed Russian chess players to participate in international tournaments with national symbols. At the same time, FIDE has restored the voting rights of Russian representatives at the organization’s General Assembly.
This is reported by Russian media.
Russian media outlets have announced the admission of chess players from Russia to international competitions using national symbols. This means the possibility of performing under the state flag and other official attributes.
It is noted that the relevant decision was made during the FIDE General Assembly. 61 delegates voted in favor of the Russians’ return to tournaments, while 51 representatives voted against.
Against this background, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, together with the Chess Federation of Ukraine, appealed to the president and delegates of the International Chess Federation not to resume the activities of the chess federations of Russia and Belarus at the international level.
The appeal was signed by the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matviy Bidny and the President of the Chess Federation of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin. In the document, the Ukrainian side opposed the return of the national teams of Russia and Belarus to FIDE tournaments, as well as the use of their state symbols.
The appeal notes that a meeting of the FIDE General Assembly is scheduled for December 14, 2025, at which the issue of the full resumption of the participation of the Russian and Belarusian national teams in competitions under the auspices of the organization may be considered.
The Ukrainian side notes that Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine continues, and the leadership of the Russian Chess Federation and public figures associated with it openly support the actions of the Russian authorities. According to Ukraine, this contradicts the principles of FIDE and the international sports movement.
The appeal also recalled that in February 2022, FIDE banned the use of Russian and Belarusian flags and anthems in rating tournaments, and in March 2022, it suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus from participating in official competitions without specifying a deadline.
Separately, it is reported that the International Chess Federation has returned the right to vote to Russian representatives at the General Assembly. The official FIDE website has published a list of countries allowed to vote, including Russia.
The Russian side at the General Assembly will be represented by Dmitry Oleinikov. This decision opens up the possibility of Russia’s participation in decision-making, in particular regarding the use of state symbols at international chess competitions.
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