Vote on lifting sanctions against Russia and Belarus

by ChessBase
12/14/2025 – At the FIDE General Assembly on this Sunday the lifting of sanctions against Russia and Belarus will be discussed and possibly decided upon. In a press release, the Norwegian Chess Federation and the Nordic Chess Federation are calling on delegates to vote against this proposal.
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Press release

The Norwegian Chess Federation and the Nordic Chess Federation urge FIDE to reject proposals to lift sanctions.

The Norwegian Chess Federation and the Nordic Chess Federation, representing Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Greenland, urge the FIDE General Assembly to vote against the proposal and the FIDE Council's recommendation to lift sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian chess federations. 

At FIDE's digital General Assembly on Sunday, December 14, item 3.1 on restrictions for Russia and Belarus will be discussed. The federations believe that there are no new circumstances that justify changes to the current restrictions. The restrictions are in line with the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The proposal, and in particular the FIDE Council's recommendation, appears to have been deliberately put forward at the last minute and gives the clear impression of being an initiative by Russian actors and their supporters.As an IOC-recognized international federation, FIDE should follow the IOC's guidelines. Although practice in international sport has at times been uneven, the direction from the IOC, general sports law, and recent decisions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is clear: Russian and Belarusian athletes, and in particular national teams, should not be allowed to participate in international competitions. 

Any exceptions should only apply to individual, neutral athletes (AIN) who meet strict criteria, and cannot include national teams or the use of national symbols.

In order to protect the integrity of chess and FIDE's position in the international sports movement, the Norwegian Chess Federation and the Nordic Chess Federation urge all delegates to vote against the proposal.

Prior to the General Assembly, the federations have sent letters to all national chess presidents and delegates and will address the congress. They hope for broad support to maintain the current sanctions.

Sjakk.no

Nordisk Chess Federation

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