MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Russia welcomes the decision of the General Assembly of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to allow Russian chess players to compete at international tournaments under the national flag and to the tune of the country’s anthem, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"We welcome the decision of the General Assembly of the International Chess Federation to allow our athletes and our chess teams to participate in international competitions under the national flag and anthem. We deeply appreciate this decision made following the vote of the General Assembly," Peskov, who is also the chairman of the Russian Chess Federation’s (RCF) Board of Trustees, told journalists.
"We believe that it was the right step towards the depoliticization of sports, especially in such field as chess," he continued.
"And we hope that this decision of the international federation reflects it in full. Other interpretations of fair voting may only provoke our disappointment," Peskov added.
On February 28, 2022, FIDE announced that chess players from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to participate in international competitions under a neutral status, adding, however, that the federation had barred both countries from hosting official chess competitions.
