The International Chess Federation (FIDE) won’t require Russian players to speak out against the military operation in Ukraine in order to compete in its events, according to general director Emil Sutovsky.
FIDE is one of the federations that has thus far not followed an International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendation to ban all Russian athletes, instead allowing them to compete as neutrals.
That stance has also been adopted by the likes of tennis authorities the ATP and WTA, although UK Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has stated that Russian stars could be required to give written assurances that they are “not receiving money from Putin, Russia or Belarus [and] that they will not be making supportive comments of Putin, Russia or Belarus” in order to compete at events such as Wimbledon.
READ MORE: Wimbledon bosses comment on participation of Russian stars
When asked by Match TV if the chess authorities will also require Russian players to ‘denounce’ their country’s leadership, FIDE director general Sutovsky said that would not be the case.
“FIDE does not require any public [statements], but calls for aggression can and will be transferred to the ethics commission,” Sutovsky stated.
In March, FIDE handed Russian Grandmaster Sergey Karjakin a six-month suspension after publicly voicing support for Putin and the ongoing military offensive.
Yet the disciplinary action was something that world champion Magnus Carlsen, who beat Karjakin for the crown in 2016, didn’t entirely back.
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