In February last year, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) banned the use of the Russian flag by athletes.
“I believe that the decision on this issue does not only depend on us, but also on the general global context. We believe that our sports organizations are doing everything in their power. At least that’s what I think, and I hope that this will be a reasonable compromise has been found. In such situations it is important to keep common sense. Each athlete decides for himself, but we understand that belonging to a country is not determined solely by the presence of the Russian flag next to the name.
Unfortunately, this is a forced measure. The neutral flag does not mean that the athlete no longer represents Russia, and we hope that our fans will support us as much as before,” Nepomniachtchi said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
In April, Ian Nepomniachtchi took part in the World Chess Crown match, where he lost to Chinese chess player Ding Liren in a deciding tie-break.
- For the first time in history, no Russian chess player will play in the quarter-finals of the World Cup
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Source: Sport
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
