The Chess Olympiad 2024 starts this September 10 in Budapest, Hungary. Part of the premier gathering of chess family members from around the world is the FIDE Congress – an official FIDE event combining the sessions of the General Assembly, FIDE Council, Zonal Council and FIDE Commissions. This is the place where the rules are coined and the general direction of chess may be changed.
One of the important decisions at the upcoming FIDE Congress during the Chess Olympiad 2024 is the resolution by the Kyrgyzstan Chess Federation to restore the full membership rights of the Russian Chess Federation. Several sources of Chessdom.com confirmed that Russia “most probably” has the needed votes for the resolution to pass.
The resolution was proposed by Babur Tolbaev, the President of the Chess Federation of Kyrgyzstan. David Llada talks about systematically to reward submission and in this FIDE Congress we see Babur Tolbaev among the candidates for FIDE Ethics Commission chairman.
The newly elected President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation Alexander Kamyshin has activated upon this news. In a statement in his Twitter/X account, Kamyshin says, “I am starting my work at the Ukrainian Chess Federation with a challenging and important battle on the international front. Yes, it’s again about Russia. And no, we will not let them prevail, as we don’t let it on the battlefield.”
Kamyshin continued, “On September 22, a meeting of the FIDE General Assembly is scheduled in Budapest, where the agenda includes the issue of restoring the full rights of the national chess federations of russia and belarus. It’s about the return of the right for the teams of aggressor countries to participate in international competitions under their own flags and anthems. russia and belarus also want to regain the right to host international tournaments under the flag of FIDE on their territory. I would like to remind you that currently, neither the russian nor the belarusian national teams have the right to participate in international competitions under the auspices of FIDE, and their chess players can only compete in tournaments under the neutral FIDE flag. This issue was brought to the agenda by the Chairman of the Chess Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic, Babur Tolbaev. While chess players in Ukraine are killed by russian military terrorists, there is no place for the russian and belarusian flags at chess tournaments. The russian anthem has no right to sound in the countries of the free world. Moreover, no self-respecting chess player who values their reputation will go to a country that is daily killing the peaceful people of another country.
I would like to remind you that since the beginning of the Great War, 21 chess players have already been killed in Ukraine, and two more chess players are still missing. And these are only the data that are currently known. Therefore, on behalf of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, I officially declare our categorical disagreement on this agenda item. I urge FIDE to remove this issue from the agenda.
1. All official appeals from the Ukrainian Chess Federation to FIDE will be sent by the end of the week. All appeals to the national federations of FIDE member countries will be sent similarly
2. I ask our grandmasters to reach out to their colleagues from other countries. National federations need to hear our chess players. FIDE must hear grandmasters from around the world.
3. We are involving the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports. Their support on the international arena is crucial
4. We are engaging the diplomatic apparatus of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine I will ask our ambassadors in all countries to carry out the necessary work
5. I ask journalists to get involved, both Ukrainian and foreign. The world must hear us.
6. Personally, over the next two weeks, I will conduct online negotiations with all heads of national chess federations — whoever I can reach
7. I will personally attend the FIDE General Assembly. I will hold in person negotiations with all delegates who are willing to hear the voice of justice
We will not allow terrorists and military aggressors to return to the civilized world of chess under their blood-stained flags while they are killing chess players in Ukraine.
#NoBloodyRussianFlagBackInChess
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Stay tuned for more updates from the FIDE Congress on Chessdom.com
