FIDE General Assembly to consider full-fledged access of Russian athletes

BUDAPEST, September 21. /TASS/. The World Chess Federation’s (FIDE) General Assembly, which will consider the issue of full-fledged return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to tournaments, will be held in Budapest on September 21-22. The FIDE, the president of the organization Arkady Dvorkovich and delegates come under unprecedented pressure by the Ukrainian authorities and the Ukrainian Chess Federation.
Nevertheless, the issue of upholding of Russian and Belarusian chess players’ rights has been submitted to the agenda of the general assembly and it will be raised on Sunday. Russian and Belarusian athletes will be reinstated in the event of a simple majority of votes received. The countries’ flags and anthems will also be returned.
On February 28, 2022 the FIDE allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international tournaments in a neutral status and announced that it would not hold official chess events in Russia or Belarus. On March 16, 2022 the FIDE barred Russian and Belarusian teams from participating in tournaments under its flag. The decision has been repeatedly extended, now it is in force until January 1, 2025.
The Ukrainian Chess Federation requested earlier that the International Chess Federation rule out its plans to consider resuming the Russian and Belarusian participation in international competitions at its General Assembly in Budapest. The Ukrainian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Georgy Tikhiy has said that Kiev would initiate sanctions against FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich if the rights of the Russian and Belarusian chess federations are restored.