The International Chess Federation FIDE banned yesterday Sergey Karjakin from all its events. As Karjakin decided not to appeal, this means he will not be able to participate in Candidates Chess 2022. (See who can substitute Karjakin in the Candidates here). This is another blow for Russia after the Chess Olympiad 2022 was moved to India and Russian and Belarus teams were banned from competitions.
Sergey Karjakin stated on his Telegram channel that he has no intention to appeal FIDE’s ban, despite qualifying it as “shameful”. Yet Russian officials, including the Chess Federation of Russia and even Kremlin itself, seem to have ignored Karjakin’s desire and have called for a reversal of the ban.
Update: see also opinions of Alexander Grischuk and Denis Khismatullin , as well as all related stories here
Andrey Filatov, President of Chess Federation of Russia
The President of Chess Federation of Russia Andrey Filatov commented in an official statement published on CFR website, “Chess Federation of Russia will examine the FIDE EDC’s decision regarding Sergey Karjakin and Sergei Shipov. We will file an appeal in the near future and lodge a complaint against the decision to ban Sergey Karjakin from participating in the FIDE events for six months. Chess Federation of Russia is against discrimination of athletes on any criteria and will fight for their rights.” Filatov also added, “We address a request to FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich to take the matter under personal control.”
Dmitry Peskov, Russian presidential press secretary in Putin administration
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, who is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Chess Federation, has called on the World Chess Federation (FIDE) to revise its decision to ban Russian Grandmaster Sergey Karjakin from participating in any FIDE rated chess competition for six months, reports the Russian TASS agency. “Naturally, it is a main constant of our approach that sport, including chess, must be beyond politics,” he told journalists on Tuesday. “We regret it. We call on FIDE to revise this decision and stay away from politics to prove the prestige of this international chess organization,” he said. “Naturally, we disagree with this decision.”
Throwback: Karjakin wins 2015 World Cup / Karjakin wins World Rapid 2012 / Karjakin wins World Blitz 2016
