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29 Jan, 11:56Updated at: 13:46

FIDE makes right call by allowing Russia's youth chess players into int'l competition

On February 28, 2022, FIDE announced that chess players from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to participate in international competitions under a neutral status, adding, however, that the federation had barred both countries from hosting official chess competitions

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. The International Chess federation (FIDE) has come "to its senses" by allowing Under-18 players from Russia and Belarus to participate in international team competitions, Anatoly Karpov, the 12th World Chess Champion, told TASS on Wednesday.

Last week, the FIDE announced a decision to clear youth chess players, as well as players with disabilities, from the countries of Russia and Belarus to take part in the federation’s authorized team competitions under a neutral status.

"It’s good that they have come to their senses and cleared the youth teams," Karpov said in an interview with TASS. "On the whole, I honestly don’t understand why they thought it was a good idea [to ban Russian chess players]."

"We must get politics out of sports and clear all our national teams," the famous chess grandmaster added.

In response to FIDE’s statement last week the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced: "It is up to each International Federation to consider the appropriate implementation of the IOC Executive Board recommendations on the participation of AIN [Individual Neutral Athletes] athletes in the events they govern."

FIDE’s sanctions against Russia

On February 28, 2022, FIDE announced that chess players from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to participate in international competitions under a neutral status, adding, however, that the federation had barred both countries from hosting official chess competitions.

On March 16, 2022, the world governing body of chess barred teams representing Russia and Belarus from all international competition.

On June 7, 2024, the FIDE Ethics Commission ruled to suspend the membership of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) with the global federation for the two-year period because the RCF included as its members chess associations from the country’s new territories.

On June 26, 2024, Russia’s governing chess body filed an appeal against the decision of the FIDE Ethics Commission and requested a complete overhaul of the Ethics Commission, as well as the return of the flag and anthem to Russian athletes.

On September 13, 2024, the Appeals Chamber of the FIA Ethics Commission overturned the body's earlier decision to revoke the RCF’s membership, upholding the appeal of the Russian Chess Federation.