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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Flopmartin Flopmartin 2/28/2022 04:51
Does someone have news about ukrainian chess players, like Ivanchuk and the Muzychuk sisters?
Stupido Stupido 2/28/2022 03:59
Top athletes have some duties and Karjakin clearly ignored them. Anyone can relay the Russian war propaganda on twitter or in Chessbase discussions, but fame brings some extra responsibilities.
arzi arzi 2/28/2022 03:45
Just like in mother-Russia. Support your local team- Putin.
AWKUZ AWKUZ 2/28/2022 03:38
Support the citizen's right to freedom of expression! Bravo Koryakin and Shipov!
lajosarpad lajosarpad 2/28/2022 03:05
It is good that FIDE opposes wars, including this one. However, even though I strongly dislike the fact that Karjakin supports military aggression initiated by Russia, I think banning him is a bad idea. Instead, players who disagree could help each-other in preparation against Karjakin. He would quickly find himself at the bottom of any standings then.

While I do agree with criticizing Russia's aggressive military actions, I do not understand why Ukraine was not criticized for its maltreatment of its minorities. It was forbidden for national minorities to use their language on the streets and they also have a law which enforces that minorities cannot learn in schools using their own languages freely. So, while I fully agree with opposing the aggression Russia has shown, I stand clueless in front of the fact that the rights of minorities in Ukraine had no support at all whatsoever.

Also, I admire the courage of Ukrainians who try to defend their country with whatever means they can.
arzi arzi 2/28/2022 02:53
He is just young and dump. Same age as Carlsen but ...I don't want to point a finger.
erikerik erikerik 2/28/2022 02:47
In April there is the Team World Championship in Israel. Is Fide condemning the invasion of Palestine as well?
Quanber Quanber 2/28/2022 02:46
No, it's not. High frequency electromagnetic radiation is inevitably emitted when a missile with nuclear weapons is in the air. The radiation moves at 300.00 km per second, and therefore there will be a missile heading the other way as soon as the first is in the air. As I wrote, Russian generals are not idiots. One can not celebrate a victory in a dust cloud of radioactivity.

This conflict ends like any other conflict with despots who have gone too far. Namely, that they are deposed and the world again calms down. When that happens I can not see. I can not rule out that Putin will celebrate his 70th birthday on October 7 this year as President of Russia. But I do not believe it anymore. I can assure you that nuclear weapons are completely irrelevant to any conflict you want to win. There will only be losers out of the use.

Count your pawns ( human beings) before you count the number of nuclear weapons.
siocat siocat 2/28/2022 02:32
I would describe Karjakins tweet as professionell suicide. Unbelievable.
arzi arzi 2/28/2022 01:24
Quanber:"We are 8 billion people on this planet. Russia and Belarus has 154 million inhabitants, corresponding to 1.9% of the world population."

The question is not which country has the most people, but which country has the most nuclear weapons.
Quanber Quanber 2/28/2022 12:17
There is nothing that is difficult to understand. It is the classic development of a leader who has been given too much power for far too long, and who oppresses all critics. The back flaps can not tell him when it rattles for him. That there are top-class chess players among the back flaps is also nothing new. Being excellent at chess does not require empathy for the feelings of others or the right to exist.

It may be necessary to start over with a new organization around FIDE.

We are 8 billion people on this planet. Russia and Belarus has 154 million inhabitants, corresponding to 1.9% of the world population. Putin and Lukashenko has set out to threaten the other 98.2% from interfering when they slaughters innocent citizens of Ukraine to restore the Soviet Union. They has lost all connection with the real world.

You can see that is the final phase for Putin. The eyes flicker from side to side, and he can no longer make eye contact with the camera. He looks past it, into a bubble, a bygone past. He talks about Europe being unfriendly to him, and therefore he must now threaten with nuclear weapons. It never gets that far. Russia's generals are not idiots. They obey Putin to a certain point, and then he is ousted.
arzi arzi 2/28/2022 11:03
Sometimes you just make the wrong choices. Maybe next time the FIDE president Dvorkovich chooses the right friend?
Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 2/28/2022 10:47
I wonder about the position of FIDE president Dvorkovich. He has been part of the Putin government, working under prime minister Medvedev. However, in 2018 his friend, oligarch Magomedov, was arrested because he was in the way of another oligarch, Sechin, who is in Putin's inner circle. It appears he was in the wrong Kremlin faction, so maybe his job at FIDE was either a safe exit, or arranged to get rid of him without too much turmoil. On Feb. 23rd he was still in Kenya (FIDE website) and I could imagine he will continue or prolong his stay in Africa - 'see no evil, hear no evil, do no evil'. He is quoted in the statement where he just says something about the FIDE charter - not clear whether he said that connected to the invasion, or he is just quoted by Council members from an earlier occasion... Anyway, it seems relatively harmfree for him. Enigmatic part about 'preserving unity of FIDE': that will be a tough job!
acepoint acepoint 2/28/2022 10:30
@Martas Yes, and he voted also «yes» on the resolution last Monday. See this paper (N0 490) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A042I%3AFULL&from=EN
marcel4711 marcel4711 2/28/2022 10:23
Difficult times. The world has suddenly changed. I hope this nightmare will end soon, and the Ucranians can wake up again without fear for their lives. I can't stop thinking about Tihon Chernyaev, the Ucranian Chess Prodigy who lives in Jarkiv, who was streaming his chess progress daily and stopped on Tuesday.... Good luck to all!!!
palko7 palko7 2/28/2022 10:05
Please change the header to a more appropriate for situation.
Martas Martas 2/28/2022 09:58
Is Karpov still member of Duma?
acepoint acepoint 2/28/2022 09:47
Though I welcome the sanctions by FIDE, especially the cases Karjakin and Shipov, it's sad to see that FIDE uses the diction of Russia in their statement. Better than nothing and surprisingly quick compared to other sports associations and with respect to the strong relationship of FIDE to Russia. But...

...it's a brutal war, a raid, an invasion into an independent country, not a «military action». Russian - meanwhile probably also Belarus - soldiers are bombing civil buildings including kindergarten. Thousands of victims, innocent children are dying. Hundreds of thousands Ukranian refugees are trying to escape from the Russian bombs and invaders.

Call it as it is: we have a war(!) in Europe initiated by Putin and his kleptocratic circle.
arzi arzi 2/28/2022 09:25
The word, Invasion, has such a bad reputation. It gives a wrong impression, a war without a cause. Military action sounds better. Like a heroic war against the dark forces.
Tjabbooo Tjabbooo 2/28/2022 09:22
Hi, do we know anything about the health of Ivanchuk and Ponomariov?
palko7 palko7 2/28/2022 09:13
Why in the headline did you write "military action" instead of "invasion"?
Raphael Comprone Raphael Comprone 2/28/2022 09:01
Players shouldn't have to play under such circumstances in any case. Many Russians don't support their country's invasion of the free world, but they may not have a choice. If Putin hadn't treated the world as his chessboard, Russians and Europeans would be getting along now and playing together. Ukraine is a poisoned pawn for Russia, and Putin's gambit will fail.
palko7 palko7 2/28/2022 08:39
Good move. I hope karjakin will get a ban.
arzi arzi 2/28/2022 08:02
"Gens una sumus."
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