FIDE Sparks Protests By Allowing Russian Team To Compete In Major Event

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has approved the participation of a Russian team in the upcoming 2025 Women's World Team Championship. The controversial decision has led to several reactions, most notably from the Ukrainian Chess Federation and the European Chess Union.

[Editor's note 7/24: Updated with a statement by the Ukrainian Chess Federation]

The team will be composed of Russian players, but compete under the FIDE flag with no display of national symbols, FIDE said in a statement. The Women's World Team Championship is scheduled for Linares, Spain, in November. 

The decision, made by the FIDE Council, marks a significant shift from the previous policy, and is viewed by many as a breach of commitments made to the chess community by FIDE. Russia and Belarus have been banned from participating in official FIDE team events since March 16, 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24 that year. 

At the 2024 FIDE General Assembly in Budapest, motions to lift restrictions were dismissed, but a last-minute proposal approved easing restrictions in case of "vulnerable groups," with children under 18 years old and players with disabilities able to compete in Russian or Belarusian teams.

Ukrainian Chess Federation Condemns Decision

In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, the Ukrainian Chess Federation condemned the decision and accused FIDE of complicity, calling for the reversal of the decision.

This decision is a blatant disregard of the fact that Russian occupiers have already killed more than 600 Ukrainian athletes and coaches.

This decision is a blatant disregard of the fact that Russian occupiers have already killed more than 600 Ukrainian athletes and coaches.
—Ukrainian Chess Federation

The UCF also questioned FIDE's independence from Russia and took direct aim at FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister.

We have every reason to believe that FIDE is under the control of the Russian Chess Federation, led by a Russian citizen, Arkady Dvorkovich, a political figure from Putin’s inner circle.

Calling sport "a tool of hybrid warfare", the UCF also demanded adherence to the IOC recommendations, which ban participation from national teams from Russia and Belarus.

You cannot close your eyes to war and at the same time open the door to its representatives. As long as our athletes are dying, Russian and Belarusian athletes must remain excluded from international sports, including chess.

ECU: Decision "Contradicts General Assembly"

The European Chess Union (ECU), which represents 54 national federations, issued their statement on Wednesday:

We note that this decision directly contradicts the most recent decisions of the FIDE General Assembly taken in Budapest, where two motions for lifting the sanctions against the Russian Chess Federation were rejected by a high majority by FIDE member nations.

We note that this decision directly contradicts the most recent decisions of the FIDE General Assembly taken in Budapest.
—Statement by the European Chess Union

The ECU also raised concerns about the lack of transparency, noting that the topic was not included on the official FIDE Council meeting agenda, and only surfaced after being reported by Russian state media.

FIDE's stated policy is to follow IOC guidelines, but the ECU argues that the decision is in conflict with those, even if "a tiny minority of other sports federations" such as World Aquatics, the International Fencing Federation, and the International Gymnastics Federation, have lifted some restrictions. The organization writes:

The ECU maintains its firm position that sanctions against Russian teams’ participation should remain in place until the circumstances that necessitated these measures are fully resolved.

The ECU warns that allowing participation under neutral status “sends an inconsistent message” about FIDE’s commitment to fair play, integrity, and solidarity.

The Russian Chess Federation (RCF) dismissed the ECU's objections, with Executive Director Alexander Tkachev quoted by state-run news agency TASS on Wednesday as saying, "This is the expected reaction of our enemies. I would be surprised if it were different."

RCF President Andrey Filatov also hailed the inclusion of the women's team, saying, "We are also expecting a positive decision on our men's team in the near future."

Natalia Zhukova: “Where Is the Honor in This Decision?”

Among notable reactions was that of Ukrainian GM Natalia Zhukova, a two-time European Women's Champion. She currently sits on the city council of her home town Odesa, and shared a heartfelt response on her Facebook account. "Devastation, pain, loss. This is our reality," Zhukova wrote, calling it an unprecedented decision by the chess governing body. She argued that the decision violates IOC recommendations, citing clause 3.1 from the IOC's March 23 guidance, which bans teams from aggressor nations while allowing only strictly vetted individuals to compete neutrally.

"Maybe I have missed something sitting in the bomb vault? Is the war over? Has the world already forgotten how for the fourth year in a row Russian missiles destroy our cities, our lives," she said, adding: "Chess is a game of honor. Where is the honor in this decision?"

Chess is a game of honor. Where is the honor in this decision?
—Natalia Zhukova

Prominent FIDE critic GM Peter Heine Nielsen, long-time second of former world champion GM Magnus Carlsen, was also vocal and called it "a sad and very shameful day for chess" in a post on X. His wife, GM Viktoria Cmilyte-Nielsen, a top politician in Lithuania, also adressed the decision.

To my Latvian colleagues, it is truly regrettable, that Russian nationals and officials are welcome to compete in #chess tournaments in #Latvia. It coincides with the decision of #FIDE under president@advorkovich, which has just allowed the 🇷🇺 female national team to compete in… https://t.co/EVcvjQocFb

— Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen (@VCmilyte) July 23, 2025

The RCF was given a conditional ban by the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commitee last year due to violations related to the invasion and continued aggression in Ukraine, but the RCF successfully appealed most charges. However, FIDE upheld a €45,000 fine for recognition of the occupied or partially-occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia as part of the Russian Chess Federation's territory.

The Russian federation has continued to organize events in these territories.