The International Chess Federation (FIDE) Ethics Commission Appeal Chamber has overturned a decision to suspend the Russian Chess Federation (CFR) for two years, instead imposing a €45,000 fine, DW reports. The ruling, made on 12 September, comes as a response to the federation’s activities in occupied Ukrainian territories. The decision doesn’t affect the ban of Russian teams from tournaments.
According to Chessdom, the Appeal Chamber, consisting of Mr. Francois Strydom (Chairperson), Mr. Ravindra Dongre, and Mr. David Hater, reversed the initial decision made by a First Instance Chamber headed by Johan Sigeman. The original suspension was imposed in June after the Ukrainian Chess Federation filed a complaint, as noted by RFE/RL.
DW reports that the complaint alleged the Russian federation had incorporated chess clubs from the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, and Crimea, into its structure. Additionally, the CFR was accused of having ties to individuals under international sanctions for their involvement in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister, also had a reprimand for his participation in the CFR’s board of trustees overturned by the Appeal Chamber, as reported by TASS and confirmed by DW. The Ethics Commission had previously noted Dvorkovich’s “long-standing” close connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin, DW adds.
Peter Heine Nielsen, coach of chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, expressed disappointment with the decision.
“We are happy that the Chess Federation of Russia once again is found guilty on illegal chess activities on occupied territories, yet we find the change of sanctions from suspension to a fine is unfortunate,” Nielsen told Chessdom.
He also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, stating,
“We have just come about information that EDC President Strydom is connected to the Russian law firm ‘Sila Lawyers’ who represents several Russian sports federations.”
Chessdom points out that FIDE statutes, like those of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other sports federations, use UN maps to determine jurisdiction for holding sports events. Notably, the Russian Olympic Committee remains suspended from the IOC for similar reasons.
According to DW, the Russian Chess Federation now has 21 days to pay the fine, or it may face a one-year exclusion from FIDE. The decision can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
RFE/RL notes that this ruling does not affect a separate March 2022 decision that suspended Russian and Belarusian national chess teams from tournaments. However, specialized media report that FIDE’s General Assembly will discuss the full reinstatement of these teams at a meeting in Budapest this September, RFE/RL adds.
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