FIDE General Assembly votes to lift sanctions against Russia and Belarus

FIDE General Assembly mandates the return of all teams and fully restores the rights of youth players in line with IOC recommendations; FIDE Council to finalise protocols for adult teams following IOC consultation.

During the FIDE General Assembly held online on 14 December, national delegates voted on two separate resolutions regarding the status of Russian and Belarusian chess players. The first resolution was filed by the Russian Chess Federation, while the second resolution was proposed by the FIDE Council.

Both resolutions referenced recent decisions and recommendations by the International Olympic Committee regarding players from Russia and Belarus. The FIDE Council resolution also referenced the recent Olympic Summit decision, based on the IOC EB recommendation, noting that “youth athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports… In addition, the standard protocols of the IF or the International Sports Event Organiser regarding flags, anthems, uniforms and other elements should apply, provided that the national sports organisation concerned is in good standing. The above principles should apply to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, and are recommended for adoption by all IFs and International Sports Event Organisers for their own youth events.” (see: Olympic Summit reaffirms athletes’ fundamental rights to access sport without political interference).

In a procedural outcome, reflecting the diversity of views within the chess community, the General Assembly voted to adopt both the resolution proposed by the Chess Federation of Russia (61 votes in favour, 51 against, 14 abstentions and 15 delegates not voting) and the resolution proposed by the FIDE Council (69 votes in favour, 40 against, 15 abstentions and 17 delegates not voting).

Following the results, delegates raised questions regarding the procedural interaction between the two adopted texts and their immediate application.

Addressing these points, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich acknowledged that both decisions garnered the necessary majority and are valid expressions of the Assembly’s will.

Consequently, the FIDE Council will proceed immediately with the points of consensus found in both resolutions, in accordance with IOC recommendations and the most recent guidance from the Olympic Summit on access to sport and political neutrality.

The resolutions differ on the technical protocols regarding the use of national symbols (flags and anthems) in adult team competitions.

• The proposal from the Russian Chess Federation calls for the immediate restoration of national symbols.
• The proposal from the FIDE Council mandates the use of national symbols in youth and junior events, but currently requires neutral symbols for adult events, subject to further IOC consultation.

To respect the legal validity of both votes, the FIDE Council considers the Council resolution to be in force immediately as the baseline for operations. This means that:

1. Teams from Russia and Belarus are admitted to official FIDE tournaments.
2. Full use of national symbols is allowed in youth and junior competitions, in line with IOC recommendations.
3. Restrictions on holding official FIDE events in Belarus are lifted, in line with recent guidance from the Olympic Summit on access to sport and political neutrality.

Regarding the specific divergence on symbols in adult events, the Council will execute the mandate included in the Council resolution to consult with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Council will make a final determination on the use of flags and anthems in adult team events following these consultations to ensure alignment with international sports standards and the IOC.