Ivanchuk, Ponomariov and other Ukrainian chess players called for not allowing sanctions against Russian athletes to be lifted at the FIDE General Assembly

Ukrainian chess players published an open letter to their colleagues, in which they asked not to allow the lifting of sanctions against Russian athletes FIDE General Assembly.

“To our esteemed colleagues. As you may be aware, the Assembly will consider lifting sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian Chess Federations. We believe that discussing this issue is not only premature, but also deeply immoral, given the current circumstances affecting our homeland and the wider international community.”

“The ongoing conflict has caused significant suffering to many individuals and families in Ukraine. Recognising federations that support aggression is contrary to the values ​​of our sport.”

“Chess, a game that thrives on principles of fairness and respect, should not be associated with organizations that endorse violence and oppression. The decision to lift sanctions could embolden aggressors and undermine the safety and integrity of players from affected countries, including Ukraine.”

“In light of these concerns, we urge you to please put pressure on your national federations to ensure that this topic is not even included on the agenda for discussion.”

The appeal to chess players was signed by famous Ukrainian grandmasters and masters: Alexander Belyavsky, Mikhail Brodsky, Natalia Buksa, Evgenia Dolukhanova, Inna Gaponenko, Vasily Ivanchuk, Anton Korobov, Vladimir Onischuk, Yulia Osmak, Ruslan Ponomariov, Anna Ushenina, Andrey Volokitin, Natalia Zhukova. With the full text of the letter you can see it on the official page of the Ukrainian Chess Federation.

Let us recall that the Appeals Chamber of the Ethics Commission of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) returned Russia’s membership in the Federation. After reviewing the application of FIDE President, Russian Arkady Dvorkovich, the Appeals Committee cancelled all previous sanctions and fined the Russian Chess Federation 45 thousand euros.

In June, the FIDE Ethics Committee issued a decision on a complaint against the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) and the organization’s president, Dvorkovich. The RCF was then stripped of its FIDE membership for two years, and Dvorkovich, who has headed the federation since 2018 and was re-elected for a new term in August 2022, was reprimanded.

The FIDE General Assembly will be held on September 21-22 in Budapest. The event will take place in the final days of the 2024 Chess Olympiad, which is taking place in the Hungarian capital.