The Kremlin regretted today the decision of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to suspend the Russian Grandmaster for six months Sergey Karjakin for posting messages in support of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, and urged the organization to reconsider the move and move away from politics.
“We are sorry. We urge FIDE to reconsider this decision and stay out of politics, thus confirming the international prestige of this chess organization,” said the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskovin his daily telephone press conference.
“Of course, the principle that sport, including chess, should be out of politics is the main constant in our approach,” he said.
At the same time, he defended that, when there is a military intervention, “any citizen of the Russian Federation has and should have the right to express his position.”
According to the Kremlin spokesman, “no one can deprive a Russian citizen of such a right.”
“In no way should this provoke a political reaction from FIDE. We are sorry,” he stressed.
Own Karjakin He told the official TASS agency on Monday that he sees no point in appealing the sanction.
“There is no point in filing an appeal, all the courts will side with Europe. And FIDE is an international sports organization and does the same as everyone else,” he declared.
“I was aware that there was a danger, but I consider that I am above all a citizen and a patriot of my country, and I say this with humility,” he said, noting that “I do not regret what happened at all.”
Karjakin He indicated that if I had to choose “between supporting my country and participating in the Candidates Tournament (in Madrid), I would always choose the first.” The tournament, from which the official contender for the Norwegian’s world title will emerge Magnus Carlsonwill be held in Madrid from June 17 to July 7.
On February 27, the chess player, a native of Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, published an open letter in which he expressed his support for the so-called Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine.
FIDE criticized the Russian for publicly expressing his political position and opened a disciplinary case against him.
Karjakinwho disputed the world title against the Norwegian Magnus Carlson in 2016 and only lost in the tiebreaker, has the right to file an appeal before the Appeals Chamber of the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission within 21 days.