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Chess.com stop the ban on Russia's flag

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DavidRocha60

Ban on Russian flag spreads racism and hate

ChesswithGautham

INB4THELOCK 

M1m1c15
That probably won’t actually
Toureg1

So what's showing instead? I'm quite sure I played someone from Russia today

DragonGamer231

Chess.com decides it's okay to lock posts for people demanding bans on Russia because of the Ukrainian War, but I guess it's perfectly fine when they start banning Russians and censoring the Russian flag for the same reason. Seriously, though, how is this permissible?

Abhinav

The site has made their stance towards the war in Ukraine pretty clear~

https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-the-invasion-of-ukraine

Btw,

RabbitRover

i contacted support about it and they replied with:

We love the Russian people, Russian cultures and identities, and her flag. We hope dearly that we will be able to again fly that flag proudly on our site again in the near future.

Unfortunately, today is not such a day.

https://www.chess.com/blog/CHESScom/on-the-invasion-of-ukraine

We certainly will NOT isolate members of our community. We receive requests from our users to remove Russian and Belarusian players from our site daily. We will not do this.

I can understand how this change makes people FEEL isolated, however. We have to weigh that against a Ukrainian player, or player with a Ukrainian family member, seeing the flag on our site which has, quite rightly in their mind, become a symbol of oppression and humanitarian crime. We intend to re-add the Russian flag (the Belarusian flag is not blocked at present) as soon as we can do so in good conscience.

I know you don't feel it's truth, and I respect that. I know what it's like to believe differently. But the evidence is simply too lopsided, coming from too many desperate places--places that would normally side with Russia, for the denials to hold any credibility. I hope you can, even if you don't agree with us, at least understand that we believe that as firmly as you hold your position.

RabbitRover

inb4thelock

ThrillerFan
Obese_Octopus wrote:
Toureg1 wrote:

So what's showing instead? I'm quite sure I played someone from Russia today

the flags are blank

 

Let's keep in mind that while the war in Ukraine is pretty much Putin himself and not the fault of ordinary Russian citizens, that Russia does not otherwise have a clean bill.

 

For example, the 15 year old figure skater doing the quads in the 2022 winter Olympics was found to be on a banned substance.  Why the let her compete is beyond me.  The fact that she finished off the medal podium was a blessing in disguise.  Of course, the fact that the gold medalist wouldn't even stand on the podium and to a lesser extent what the silver medalist did as well just goes to show that those Russian gymnasts were just as bad as what Americans refer to as "Karens" here in the United States.

 

I do not recall which year it was, but there were other scandals by Russia in athletic events during the previous decade that put them on a fairly lengthy ban from the Olympics as a whole where they could not compete with a Russian flag or play the National Anthem of Russia, and even this latest one with the drug scandal, they had to compete under the generic Olympic flag.

 

Now you might be asking what do the Olympics have to do with chess?  They are both international competitive activities where cheating is possible.  In no way am I saying that they have cheated in chess, but their punishment for what they did in other international competitive events, which I believe is set to expire in 2024 if memory serves me right, should apply to all international competitive activities, including chess.

 

Yes, one group of people can ruin it for others.  Gymnasts can ruin it for other international competitive activities in their country just like how money made by the backup point guard in NCAA Basketball can ruin it for the rest of that basketball team and they suffer something like a 5 year ban from the NCAA tournament all because of the backup point guard.  The others on the team can cry that it is not fair to them as they are innocent and they should just ban the one player for life, but that is not how it works.

 

Same concept here.  When that ban from international competition is lifted, the Russian Flag should be brought back to chess.com.  It should have nothing to do with the war with Ukraine.  That is being punished in an economic form against Russia.  For example, McDonalds I seem to recall hearing shut down there a month ago or so.

 

Chess.com is a Website that falls in the category of international competition and chess.com should be following the international competition committee to decide when to reinstate the flag.

 

If, hypothetically, the United States were to execute a cheating scandal in the 2024 Summer Olympics and had a similar ban for let's say, 10 years, then the American flag should be removed from chess.com for 10 years (2024 to 2034).  Same goes for England, France, Australia, Germany, Brazil, or any other country.  

 

So I actually agree it should be blank right now, but likely not for the reason why it actually is blank.

Kowarenai
Obese_Octopus wrote:
Toureg1 wrote:

So what's showing instead? I'm quite sure I played someone from Russia today

the flags are blank

well blue actually but yeah its kinda sad for the russian players here

DavidRocha60

   

DavidRocha60

Whoops lol guys don't spread hate for Belarus and Russian people. I'm sorry Chess.com is getting to me with their racism haha! Spread love and peace and hope that our own leaders who started this war get their brains functioning again. Putin didn't start it. If they want peace they need to de-escalate and think about their children and people before their own views on the matter. Putin is just the aggressor and in order to deal with a dangerous person you need to help them because they are unstable. He didn't become a butcher they made him a butcher. Please realize this for the sake of Ukraine and the world.

Hamilton53

I agree, don't make the Russian people pay for decisions made by the minority, that they have little (immediate) control over. 

pogmanwoman4

BOOOOOO. This is blatant discrimination! You are making chess about politics and not about the game itself. The fide moto is Gens una sumus, Latin for "We are one Family". What is this?

Elroch

This decision is a measured message from chess.com to all its users. It allows Russians to play, but both indicates the very broad condemnation of Putin's aggression and is a barrier to the misuse of chess.com to show support for the aggression. Unfortunately, like for a different country in 1939, Russia is now entirely defined by one man's megalomania. The solution to this undesirable situation can only come from within the country.

Peace, love and fair play, everyone. happy.png

UpbeatAngle

No political discussions are allowed in the regular forums. For reference here is the sites statement https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-the-invasion-of-ukraine

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