The FIDE Council held an online meeting on July 18 during the ongoing FIDE Women’s World Cup. In addition to confirming several grandmaster titles the Council members agreed that a team featuring players from Russia will once again be allowed to participate in the next Women’s Team World Championship. A brief post on the FIDE website (see below) announces this under the title: “Participation of neutral team at Women’s World Team Championship.”
The FIDE Board refers to a FIDE resolution from January 2025, which allows “neutral” teams from vulnerable groups — such as youth players and players with disabilities — to participate in team competitions. Based on this resolution, the Board justifies the approval of “a team of athletes with Russian citizenship to take part in the 2025 Women’s Team World Championship under the FIDE flag.”
However, the statement does not clarify to what extent women are considered a vulnerable group, nor how this aligns with the inclusion criteria originally set for players with disabilities or minors. Before making the decision final, FIDE intends to obtain a no-objection certificate from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Russian players are expected to compete as a “neutral team” under the FIDE flag. According to FIDE, this decision is in line with the IOC’s guidelines.
Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, Russian athletes were suspended from official international sports competitions — either entirely or in team events — in accordance with IOC policy. In the chess world, Russian teams have been banned from participating in official international competitions. However, individual Russian players have been allowed to compete if they do so under the FIDE flag. Many have taken advantage of this option, while others — including several prominent names — left the country after the war began and now represent other federations.
Since the beginning of the suspension, Russian sports authorities have been lobbying politically for the return of their teams to international competition. In chess in particular, Russian politicians and sports officials have traditionally exerted significant influence.
FIDE published the Council’s decision in a short announcement on its website this past Monday. The European Chess Union (ECU) issued a response, which was shared both on social media and the ECU’s official website.
The ECU argues that the FIDE Council’s decision contradicts the resolutions adopted at the 2024 FIDE General Assembly in Budapest, where delegates overwhelmingly rejected the lifting of sanctions against the Russian Chess Federation. The ECU also expressed concern that the decision was not listed on the Council’s official agenda and that the announcement only appeared after the news had already been reported in Russian state media.
In its statement, the ECU firmly opposes the Council’s decision and maintains its position that “sanctions against Russian teams’ participation should remain in place until the circumstances that necessitated these measures are fully resolved.”
The Russian state news agency TASS quoted Alexander Tkachev, Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF), responding to the ECU’s statement: “This is the expected reaction from our opponents. I would be surprised if it were otherwise.” The Russian sports official also sent a message to FIDE leadership: “In any case, there are recommendations from the International Olympic Committee, and FIDE has intelligent people who know those must be strictly followed.”
André Schulz
ECU Statement on FIDE Council Decision
23 July 2025
The FIDE Council Decision on Russian Women’s Team Participation in the World Team Championship 2025
The European Chess Union (ECU) has reviewed the decision made at the Online FIDE Council Meeting held on July 18, 2025, regarding the participation of Russian National Team in the 2025 Women’s World Team Championship.
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 vast majority by FIDE member nations.
Additionally, this matter was not originally on the FIDE Council agenda and came to light only after it was mentioned in Russian state media.
FIDE’s stated policy is to follow IOC guidance and this Council decision aligns only with a policy adopted by a tiny minority of other international sports federations. 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.
As the governing body representing 54 European chess federations, the ECU has a responsibility to uphold the values of fair play, integrity, and solidarity that define our sport. We believe that lifting these restrictions, even by giving Russian teams neutral status, sends an inconsistent message regarding the international chess community’s commitment to these principles.
The ECU will continue to monitor this situation closely and reserves the right to take appropriate measures within our jurisdiction to ensure that European chess competitions maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct and international solidarity.
European Chess Union
The European Chess Union (ECU) has reviewed the decision made at the Online FIDE Council Meeting held on July 18, 2025, regarding the participation of Russian National Team in the 2025 Women’s World Team Championship and has made the following statement:https://t.co/VsLoGhAjAZ pic.twitter.com/mRcjISSHLb
— European Chess Union (@ECUonline) July 23, 2025
FIDE Council Meeting held online on July 18, 2025
The second FIDE Council Meeting of 2025 took place on July 18, alongside the ongoing FIDE Women’s World Cup. Held in an online format, the meeting addressed a range of important topics, including development projects, budget matters, the FIDE calendar, fair-play measures, and the approval of new player titles.
New Grandmasters approved
One of the key highlights of the meeting was the approval of 10 new Grandmasters. Among them is 21-year-old Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan, who becomes the second Kazakhstani woman and the 43rd female player in history to earn the prestigious GM title.
The full list of newly approved Grandmasters:
* Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ, 13708694)
* Leonardo Costa (GER, 16213955)
* Julian Kramer (GER, 12921742)
* Edgar Mamedov (KAZ, 13739980)
* Christopher Noe (GER, 24692018)
* Tao Pang (CHN, 8609950)
* L R Srihari (IND, 46617116)
* Milosz Szpar (POL, 1184989)
* Artem Uskov (FID, 34254854)
* Matthew J. Wadsworth (ENG, 415804)
Key event dates confirmed
The Council confirmed the dates for several major upcoming events on the FIDE calendar:
* FIDE World Cup 2025 – October–November 2025, India
* Women’s World Team Championship 2025 – November 2025, Linares, Spain
* 2nd FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities – October 2025, Kazakhstan
Participation of neutral team at Women’s World Team Championship
In line with FIDE’s policy of following IOC guidance and in accordance with practices adopted by several international sports federations — such as World Aquatics, the International Fencing Federation, and the International Gymnastics Federation — the Council approved the participation of a team of athletes of Russian nationality in the 2025 Women’s World Team Championship under the FIDE flag, subject to obtaining a non-objection letter from the IOC.
This decision builds upon the precedent set by the January 2025 FIDE resolution, which allowed neutral teams of vulnerable groups (youth and players with disabilities) to participate in team competitions. All such entries are required to compete without national symbols, in full alignment with IOC policy.
A complete list of decisions from the FIDE Council Meeting will be published in due course.
