The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, has partially upheld Ukraine’s appeal against the Russian Chess Federation, mandating that the Russian side halt its activities in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea.
This ruling was announced on the official CAS website. The case was initiated by Ukraine in an effort to exclude the Russian Federation from the international chess community.
In its appeal, Ukraine accused the Russian Chess Federation and the President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich, of maintaining ties with sanctioned individuals, organizing tournaments in occupied regions of Ukraine, and failing to adhere to the principle of political neutrality.
While CAS did not revoke Russia’s membership in FIDE, it instructed the Russian Chess Federation to cease any operations in occupied territories. This includes conducting tournaments under the auspices of the Russian Federation and legally excluding local chess organizations from its structure.
The Russian side has been given 90 days to comply with this decision, specifically regarding activities in Crimea, Sevastopol, and the temporarily occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Following this period, Russia is required to inform both CAS and FIDE about its compliance with the ruling.
If the Russian Federation fails to meet these demands, its membership in FIDE will be automatically suspended for three years, with reinstatement contingent upon fulfilling the court’s decision.
In September 2024, FIDE’s Ethics Commission had previously replaced an earlier suspension of Russia’s membership with a fine of €45,000. However, following the recent CAS ruling, these funds must be returned to the Russian side if they have already been paid, in order to comply with the new conditions set forth by the court.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has mandated the Russian Chess Federation to cease operations in occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea. This ruling follows Ukraine's appeal against the federation's involvement in international chess activities under contentious circumstances.