EU sanctions scare jolted FIDE into ousting Russian chess federation
by https://euobserver.com/author/nikolaj-nielsen/ · EUobserverRussia’s president Vladimir Putin alongside the head of Russia’s Chess Federation Andrey Filatov (l) (Source: Russia Chess Federation)
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By Nikolaj Nielsen,
Brussels
,
Russia was suspended from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) this week due to its operational ties to the occupied territories of Ukraine.
The decision follows separate threats to slap EU sanctions on Arkady Dvorkovich, the Russian head of FIDE, who has publicly supported Russia’s war.
The Swiss-based FIDE had been accused of dragging out the suspension, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an international tribunal, in April ruled that Russia had to be ousted.
The court had ordered FIDE to suspend the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) for three years by midnight on 9 June. It did nothing.
But news that Dvorkovich could end up on an EU sanctions list hastened FIDE’s decision, said George Mastrokoukos, a Greek international chess master and commentator.
Mastrokoukos said FIDE had initially sought to discuss the issue with Russia on 17 June.
But an EUobserver article about possible EU sanctions against Dvorkovich on Wednesday morning (10 June) caused panic within FIDE ranks, he said.
“Andrew [Rettman]’s article about the EU sanctions made them accelerate this,” he said, noting that Dvorkovich had called an emergency WhatsApp meeting the very same day and then ousted Russia, as demanded by the court.
Volodymyr Kovalchuk, who is vice-president of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, also suspects the decision was hastened by the sanctions threat.
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Russia’s president Vladimir Putin alongside the head of Russia’s Chess Federation Andrey Filatov (l) (Source: Russia Chess Federation)
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Author Bio
Nikolaj Nielsen joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.
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