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FIDE Imposes Temporary Suspension on Russian Chess Federation
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The Council of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has temporarily suspended the membership of the Russian Chess Federation, according to an official statement released by FIDE on June 10.
The decision was taken after the Council reviewed compliance with a ruling issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concerning the Russian federation. FIDE said the requirements set out in the CAS decision had not been fulfilled within the prescribed timeframe.
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“Accordingly, and pursuant to Article 26.10 of the FIDE Charter, the Council resolves to impose the sanction of temporary suspension of membership of the respective Member Federation with immediate effect,” the statement said.
FIDE emphasised that, in line with its regulations and recommendations from the International Olympic Committee, measures remain in place to allow eligible individual players to participate in international chess competitions under conditions defined by the federation.
The organisation underlined that the decision applies to the national federation itself and does not restrict the participation rights of individual players in accordance with existing FIDE rules and rulings.
The suspension follows earlier legal proceedings involving the Russian Chess Federation and its activities in occupied Ukrainian territories. The Court of Arbitration for Sport had previously ordered the federation to cease organising competitions and all related activities in Ukrainian regions under Russian occupation, including Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
According to Politico on April 6, the ruling—issued in March—overturned an earlier decision by the International Chess Federation, which had acknowledged violations but imposed a $52,000 fine. CAS found the penalty to be “evidently and grossly disproportionate” and granted the Russian federation 90 days to comply.
The case was initiated by the Ukrainian Chess Federation, which argued that staging official events in occupied territories undermines Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The ruling has been described as a notable precedent in how international sports institutions address disputes linked to geopolitical conflicts.
Ukrainian Chess Federation President Oleksandr Kamyshin said the decision establishes a clear legal position on the issue.
“This ruling significantly limits Russia’s ability to use sport as a tool to legitimize its occupation,” Kamyshin added. “Equally important, it establishes an important precedent: There is now a clear legal position that other federations can rely on in similar cases. This extends beyond chess. It sends a signal to all international sports organizations that legitimizing occupation through sport is unacceptable.”
The legal and organisational developments in international chess come alongside strong performances from Ukrainian youth players as fifteen-year-old Ukrainian Anastasiia Hnatyshyn has won the European chess championship.
The result of the tournament, held in Batumi, Georgia from May 25 to June 5, was announced by the European Chess Union. According to the organisation, the event featured 131 female players and was played over 11 rounds.
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