On March 27, the international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, issued its arbitral award in case 2024/A/10911, previously filed by the Ukrainian Chess Federation against International Chess Federation (FIDE) , its President, Russian Arkady Dvorkovich, and the Chess Federation of Russia (CFR).
The dispute concerns the illegality of the CFR’s activities in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea, and the connivance of such activities by FIDE and its President.
The new arbitral award states that the CFR must immediately cease organizing competitions and exercising any control over chess activities in the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and all mainland areas.
This award replaces the €45,000 fine imposed by FIDE on the CFR and must be complied with within 90 days, otherwise the CFR’s membership in FIDE will be suspended for three years.
The CAS arbitral award emphasized that the CFR expressed “no contrition,” that it “has not pleaded a conflict of duties,” and that it claimed an “duty under Russian law to extend its remit” to the occupied regions, which “would conflict with the position accepted by the
large majority of the international community,” the decision stated.
The CAS decision added that the CFR did not ask “guidance from FIDE in
adopting its policy” and made no attempt, either independently or jointly with FIDE, to do so in a neutral manner that would not affect sovereignty issues. Furthermore, the CFR failed to provide chess players from the occupied regions with the opportunity to compete in Ukrainian championships.
CAS confirmed that all these actions violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the fundamental principles of chess governance. However, the court did not uphold the charges against FIDE itself or Dvorkovich, who is close to the Russian government, at this stage. These demands concerned, in particular, political neutrality and alleged ties to sanctioned individuals.
