FIDE Council condemns Russia’s military action

by ChessBase
2/28/2022 – An extraordinary meeting of the FIDE Council took place on Sunday to address the issues related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Among other decisions, the council decided to ban Russia and Belarus from organizing official FIDE competitions, to terminate sponsorship agreements with Belarusian and Russian sanctioned and/or state-controlled companies, and to condemn public statements from members of the chess community who support unjustified military action — i.e. Sergey Karjakin and Sergey Shipov.
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Press release by the International Chess Federation

International Chess FederationToday, on February 27, 2022, an extraordinary meeting of the FIDE Council was held on the current situation and the urgent measures to be taken after the military action launched by Russia in Ukraine.

As stated by the FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, the FIDE Council regards its main mission in preserving the unity of FIDE and respecting the basic human rights enshrined in the FIDE Charter.

In this regard, the FIDE Council has adopted a number of important emergency decisions.

  • FIDE Council approves the following statement condemning the military action:

“FIDE expresses its grave concern about the military action started by Russia in Ukraine. FIDE stands united against wars as well as condemns any use of military means to resolve political conflicts. FIDE will take any necessary action to ensure the security of chess players and other members of the chess community. No official FIDE chess competitions and events will be held in Russia and Belarus.”

  • Following the call from IOC, the FIDE Council decides that no Russian and Belarusian national flag be displayed or anthem be played in all FIDE-rated international chess events. Instead – the national chess federation’s flag or the official symbol/logo shall be used. A simplified procedure for performing under the FIDE flag would be followed where it is crucial for the players or any other chess officials under the current geopolitical situation.
  • In order to safeguard FIDE from reputational, financial, and any other possible risks, FIDE terminates all existing sponsorship agreements with any Belarusian and Russian sanctioned and/or state-controlled companies and will not enter into new sponsorship agreements with any such companies.
  • FIDE Council condemns any public statement from any member of the chess community which supports unjustified military action and brings the case of chess grandmasters Sergey Karjakin and Sergey Shipov to the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission.
  • The FIDE Council reaffirms the FIDE Congress dates, welcomes the AICF’s bid to host the 44th Chess Olympiad, and suggests 10 days for other bids.

The FIDE Council suggests that regardless of the organization of the Chess Olympiad 2022, FIDE will organize the annual FIDE Congress during the previously planned dates – from 27.07.2022 till 02.08.2022 with the election date on 01.08.2022. The preference is to combine the FIDE Congress with the Chess Olympiad 2022. However, consultations with the potential organizers of the Chess Olympiad 2022 will be carried out and adjustment of the FIDE Congress dates is possible if it does not imply a notable delay of elections. The FIDE Council confirms that the continental elections shall be organized within their constitutional terms.

  • The FIDE Council confirms its commitment to the continuation of all the established development programs for national federations, zones, continents, and affiliated organizations.

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Alexandru27 Alexandru27 3/5/2022 03:07
@lajosarpad: OK, Ukrainians are about 10% of the bad side, but the Russians (sent by Putin to invade) are 90%. The percentages are, of course, rather symbolic (the approximation may be 2%/92%, or 18%/82%), but it's the only way I can show you that, in this case, the wrong being done is greatly disproportioned, from multiple points of view. Of course I don't agree with how Ukrainians deal with the Romanian minority near the border, but this is a different issue from that being discussed. If we stay pertinent to this matter, of the two parties involved, the Russian army (sent by Putin to invade), and those who support them, are on the bad side, and the defending Ukrainians on the good side. It may sound symplistic, but this doesnt mean it doesn't correctly reflect the truth on this matter. So, the bad side of all this is disproportionately big, it's huge - out of several considerations. That's why a vast majority of people around the world support the Ukrainians, and condemn Putin and his army sent to Ukraine, and also those who support their actions. The invading of Ukraine (with all the circumstances involved) denotes pure cruelty on a large scale.
arzi arzi 3/4/2022 07:32
lajosarpad:"Bottom line: if WWIII breaks out, everyone from the pub will run to the church and everyone from the church will run to the pub."

It doesn`t matter, there will be wine either in church or in pub. Everybody wins.
lajosarpad lajosarpad 3/3/2022 03:32
@Kengir I'm also against cancel culture. However, this is not cancel culture. Let's define the concept:

Cancel culture is the political stance that the radical Left is using against the political views they dislike; it consists of a virtual (or real) mob that will artificially put the target into political quarantine for its views.

In our case, we do not deal with opinions. We deal with military actions, infrastructural destruction, the killing of other people. In short, we deal with a war. Sanctioning the aggressor of a war is very far from the hysteria we can see in the Left. Also, in view of the Red flags, "people's republic in Donbass" and the usage of the word "comrades" by Putin, I would be surprised if the radical Left would try to "cancel" Putin, because 1. The symbolism in use is akin to the symbolism the radical Left likes and 2. Putin will not be "cancelled" by some people ranting about him. Trust me, Ukrainians are ranting more about him, yet that did not stop him so far.

@Alexandru27 in my view there is no good side in the conflict. Ask Romanians in Cernauti and around Odessa how it was to live in Ukraine in the last 8 years. I agree with you that Russia's imperialism is terrible. But that does not legitimize Ukraine's politics up until now.

@Aighearagh "Sport is for good nations, standing together, to have friendly competition."

So, who are the Übermensch? And who has the right to determine that?

@Lopeypj33 "Punish the country not the individual competitors."

Well said!

Bottom line: if WWIII breaks out, everyone from the pub will run to the church and everyone from the church will run to the pub.
arzi arzi 3/2/2022 02:08
Some news from Finland: "Russia scientist's chilling prediction: the worst in the war in Ukraine is yet to come."

The worst yet to come. Nice. I think I`ll go local pub if it is still there.
arzi arzi 3/2/2022 02:01
"The Anonymous -hacker group has said it has paralyzed the Russian space agency. According to the hacker group, Russia no longer has control over its spy satellites. The Independent reported on the matter. The group claims that hackers have been able to download and delete confidential information related to the space agency's satellite imagery and vehicle surveillance system."

Oh, that one. I could not guess that.
arzi arzi 3/2/2022 01:49
"French finance minister poses direct threat to Russia: "We are waging a total economic war, the people will also have to pay"

The stakes increase in the market for political forces. What is next?
arzi arzi 3/2/2022 12:47
"Yle's recent NATO poll is truly historic: according to it, a majority, or 53 per cent, of Finns support Finland's accession to NATO.
NATO supporters have not previously had a majority in any of the relevant polls.
28 per cent of Finns oppose and 19 per cent are insecure."

This change - just in a week. What has happened? Which is faster to join, Sweden or Finland? Someone bets on this race? Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov?
arzi arzi 3/2/2022 12:21
"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday, according to Russia's state news agency Ria, that if World War III broke out, nuclear weapons would be involved. Such a war would be devastating, according to Lavrov. Russia has claimed that Ukraine would try to acquire nuclear weapons and thus pose a threat to Russia. According to Lavrov, Russia would be in "real danger" if Ukraine acquired nuclear weapons."

I feel so safe now. How an earth it is possible that Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons if they are now going to threat Russia with them? What is the last line of paranoia? Total destruction?
arzi arzi 3/2/2022 09:43
Roman Abramovich trades Chelsea - "He wants to get rid of the club quickly"

Am I feeling some sort of panic among the oligarchs?
lopezpj33 lopezpj33 3/2/2022 08:20
I applaud FIDE for keeping competition out of Russia while this is going on. Punish the country not the individual competitors. I feel bad for the Russian people that don't want this war that suffer under Putin. I hope they over-throw him and maybe appoint someone like Kasparov to replace him. I know it's a pipe dream. I am proud of the Ukrainian people standing up for their beliefs and freedom. It's what all people deserve is the freedom to choose how they live their lives. I see a lot of bickering about what certain groups or countries have done in the past. I don't buy into all these conspiracy theories. They are almost always half-truths, usually having truth woven in with lies. The point is no one should have to fight a war for their freedom especially in this day and age no matter their beliefs. I fully support sanctions and the withdraw of all dealings with a country that invades another to conquer them. Good job FIDE. Who wants to compete in a country that is savagely attacking another anyway?
arzi arzi 3/2/2022 06:46
Kengir:"FIDE should be about chess and only about chess. If it wants to be a political party then I don't vote for them. Nor do I care what they think. I think cancelculture is a vile thing that should be actively discouraged."

In what world have you been living? When FIDE:s main target has been only about chess? Never. FIDE has been a puppet for the politics as long can be remembered its excistence. It has changed in the last years, however. Small changes are better than none, I guess. Condemning the war has been one improvement.
Leavenfish Leavenfish 3/2/2022 01:25
One can sit on a rock and call it a 'chair'...but that does not make it a chair.

Politics is commonly thought of as activities associated with the governance of a country, city, etc. War involves one country killing those in another to get what it wants...in this case, warm water ports and keeping a country out of NATO.

Please, lets not confuse the two people.
Aighearach Aighearach 3/1/2022 08:13
"a political party"
@Kengir you are not even a human being, you are just a minor evil wind.

There is no benefit to the world to continue to allow evil to bleed over into chess. Eject the evil from all sport. Sport is for good nations, standing together, to have friendly competition.
Alexandru27 Alexandru27 3/1/2022 06:02
This is not about politics, it's about choosing who to side with: the good or the evil. What happens in chess, as in other sports nowadays, are side effects of this choice - and these better be accepted as the lesser evil.
Kengir Kengir 3/1/2022 04:42
"FIDE expresses its grave concern about the military action started by Russia in Ukraine. FIDE stands united against wars as well as condemns any use of military means to resolve political conflicts. FIDE will take any necessary action to ensure the security of chess players and other members of the chess community. No official FIDE chess competitions and events will be held in Russia and Belarus."

FIDE should be about chess and only about chess. If it wants to be a political party then I don't vote for them. Nor do I care what they think. I think cancelculture is a vile thing that should be actively discouraged.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 02:07
Nigel Short also on chess24:"Sometimes I think the importance of chess is, paradoxically, its unimportance. Life without such simple pleasures is difficult to bear."
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 01:40
Stupido:To quote de Gaulle in defense of Putin is utterly disgusting"

It was an answer to Revealingknighty when he/she talked about "That's real patriotism."
Are we even on the same page? Stupidity is not a virtue for anyone, even for sake of the name.
Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 3/1/2022 01:31
On chess24 and Nigel Short's twitter there are several accounts of Ukraine GM's caught in the fighting, fighting themselves, or in relative safety.
Stupido Stupido 3/1/2022 01:31
To quote de Gaulle in defense of Putin is utterly disgusting. Tu es un zemmourien et/ou un troll de Putin ?
Revealingknighty Revealingknighty 3/1/2022 01:26
My last post was a bit of a ramble and I think on reflection I have overstated the accountability of the Russian people for Putin. Certainly they don't "deserve" Putin or what he's become. Also we probably have to cut some slack in regards to the maturity of the russian political system, given its chaotic nascence in the 90s. I hope people in Russia can overcome their fear, becuase fear is the only grip that Putin has now, I can't see anything else that he is using to assert his power.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 01:12
To Revealingknighty."There are always opportunists shamming "legitimacy", but it is up to every society to spot its own charlatans and uphold values with dignity. That's real patriotism. Karjakin stands for cynicism not patriotism, while the actual patriots are currently rotting in prison camps."

In different conversation MauvaisFou wrote:
MauvaisFou 2/17/2022 07:38
Le patriotisme, c'est aimer son pays. Le nationalisme, c'est détester celui des autres.
Charles de Gaulle.
Revealingknighty Revealingknighty 3/1/2022 12:51
Sanctions are blunt weapons of course. However they are the best available option in the current situation, given that neither war nor appeasement can be contemplated. I think these sanctions look fairly well targeted, definitely it is the oligarchs who will bear the main brunt. Always you have the problem that the autocrats will use sanctions to claim victimhood and try to turn them back on the population, Putin will just follow the standard pattern. Let's not exonerate the Russian people from all accountability however. Putin exists because the Russian people were lax about guarding their freedoms. I think there is an element of cynicism and selfishness there. Not enough people stood up at the key moments over the last two decades when it counted. A word that springs to mind for me when I think about Russia is "legitimacy". For me this is something you should be constantly vigilant about, but I dont think the russian people (or at least a cross-section of them) really understand this concept too well judging from history. There are always opportunists shamming "legitimacy", but it is up to every society to spot its own charlatans and uphold values with dignity. That's real patriotism. Karjakin stands for cynicism not patriotism, while the actual patriots are currently rotting in prison camps.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 12:48
To Quanber:"You clearly know nothing about how small a damage nuclear weapons do to the military's ability to strike back."

I`m happy that we have here an expert like you in use of nuclear weapons. I guess you have got your expertise in Nagasaki and Hiroshima? I hope I don`t see any of these loser weapons by myself. You too, have a happy and nuclear weapon free future.
Quanber Quanber 3/1/2022 12:38
Arzi, I'm very busy at work and this will be my last comments. You clearly know nothing about how small a damage nuclear weapons do to the military's ability to strike back. They only make the land one would conquer uninhabitable if the ever reach their target ( it will not) . Its a loser weapon.
We will win the second half and hold Putin and Lukashenko accountable. Have a good life.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 12:35
To Quanber:" Then he will have removed sanctions, then he will have transferred guilt for one thing or another with side jumps. It's is completely like a member of the GRU would do."

We have a saying in Finland. "Never trust Russia. You can trade with them, get drunk with them, to sauna with them, but never trust them."
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 12:25
Putin changed the rules of elections. He has been president, then prime minister, after that president again, for ever and ever. What a democratic way of ruling, modify the laws of the system.
lajosarpad lajosarpad 3/1/2022 12:23
@flachspieler as a Hungarian I was consistently and strongly opposing the fact that Hungarians were brutally oppressed since 2014 in Ukraine. And I also support the freedom of other minorities, Romanians, Russians, Ruthenians and Polish people. And now I'm opposing Russia's aggressive measures as well.
Stupido Stupido 3/1/2022 12:13
@arzi - Putin has been elected by the Russian people. I know this wasn't a totally free election but still there was a 67% turnout.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 12:10
To Revealingknighty: "Arzi, the alternative was, I suppose, direct war with NATO, but that would be significantly worse for the Russian people."

That is no alternative. You can not start the war and hope that Nato and Russia would not use nukes. Hope is a bad advicer.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 12:05
Quanber: "Arzi constantly comments on criticism of Russia. In favor of Russia."

Actually, I do critize the actions of Russia, but I don`t blame the people for those actions. We can make sanctions on Russia and hope they will help. Still, as long as Putin has his finger in nuclear weapons, which by the way together with USA, are the biggest, what can we do? To force Putin to surrender? I guess he will let the Russians and others die before giving up himself to justice? Maybe some western hero invents new Strategic Defense Initiative -system against Russian nuclear weapons? Neo-SDI?
Revealingknighty Revealingknighty 3/1/2022 12:03
Sanctions are painful for everybody -including the West -so of course the decision is not taken lightly. Arzi, the alternative was, I suppose, direct war with NATO, but that would be significantly worse for the Russian people. Direct war can't really be contemplated. I guess Putin wins that particular game of chicken. We really do believe he is M.A.D. enough to contemplate mutually assured destruction. However the sanctions may eventually be effective. If Putin loses the Russian people, the oligarchs and the inner circle because of the strain of the sanctions, the army may turn against him. Ok, maybe the Russian people are conned by the propaganda and will show solidarity with Putin and blame us for all this. Maybe, but I don't think so. Anyway, exactly what others options are there? All we can hope for is an eventual coup. Difficult really to know what the tipping point for that would be though.
Quanber Quanber 3/1/2022 11:41
Arzi constantly comments on criticism of Russia. In favor of Russia. But in a very cunning way. Then he will have removed sanctions, then he will have transferred guilt for one thing or another with side jumps. It's is completely like a member of the GRU would do.
We must, of course, boycott Russia as much as possible in all contexts. For although the majority of the Russians are innocent, and could never dream of initiating this action, they do not die of a boycott. In contrast, more citizens of Ukraine are dying without a boycott. We must put pressure on the leaders of Russia and Belarus as much as possible.
Scientist all over the world love to research mathematical models of nature. Many also love to relax with a good game of chess. Our interest in politics may lie in a very small place. Then some tyrants emerge from the mists and kill people to get their will, a great Soviet Union. Forced by the circumstances, we have to change our everyday lives. Codes must be broken, technical problems must be solved in record time.

We do not have nuclear weapons to threaten. We have something that is much stronger. We have the knowledge that created the nuclear missiles, and therefore also the knowledge of what could conceivably disrupt their orbits. We win the second half and hold Putin and Lukashenko accountable.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 11:12
to Stupido: "So far the victims of this war are the people of Ukraine, not the people of Russia."

Yes, that is very true but still you can`t make a wrong thing and say that is the only right way to correct
injustices. About NHL players they were just an example. Same happens in other sports too.
Stupido Stupido 3/1/2022 10:39
@arzi - So far the victims of this war are the people of Ukraine, not the people of Russia. As far as the Russian NHL players are concerned, my understanding is that NHL stated that they cannot be targeted as scapegoats and they will be protected.
arzi arzi 3/1/2022 09:46
The problem in this situation is that the people of the Russia are punished also for the acts of the leader(s). The change usually comes from inside of the people but how can it happens if outside worlds punish the people? Do the Russians support their punishers or their current leader(s)? The sanctions sometimes are targetted on the wrong destinations. Is it the fault of the Russian NHL player when Putin has ordered an attack on Ukraine?
Aighearach Aighearach 3/1/2022 01:56
The Muzychuk sisters are from Lviv in the west and so hopefully are ok.
Aighearach Aighearach 3/1/2022 01:37
Karpov is indeed a member of the Duma, and is now under sanctions for violation of the UN charter in voting to recognize land that belongs to Ukraine as belonging to somebody else.
Mamack1 Mamack1 2/28/2022 08:35
Ivanchuk is reportedly safe in the West of the country.
Alexandru27 Alexandru27 2/28/2022 06:14
A nightmare in development. Almost everything turned upside down. It may be over in 48 hours. For good or for bad. Or it can stay with us for quite a few months. All this, just because one psychopath narcissist decided to have his show.

Those who support him are either utterly naive, or have some degree of mental insanity. Or display cynicism of same caliber. Why have you gone this far, Sergey?
flachspieler flachspieler 2/28/2022 05:58
@lajosarpad: You have a point, but where was your support
in the cases you mention?
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