Talvsamband Føroya Faroechess
Á aðalfundinum hjá altjóða talvsambandinum, FIDE, sum verður í morgin 14. desember, verður eitt uppskot til viðgerðar, um at strika forboðið ímóti at lið úr Russlandi og Hvítarusslandi (Belarus) luttaka í almennum FIDE-kappingum.
Norðurlendska Talvsambandið, sum fevnir um Ísland, Noreg, Svøríki, Finnland, Danmark, Grønland og Føroyar, mælir FIDE til at fylgja tilmælunum hjá altjóða olympisku nevndini, IOC, og heitir á limalondini í FIDE um at atkvøða ímóti uppskotinum um at strika revsitiltøkini móti Russlandi og Hvítarusslandi.
Skrivið frá Norðurlendska Talvsambandinum (sum eisini kann síggjast á hesi leinkju) til limalondini í FIDE er soljóðandi:
Agenda Item 3.1: Limitations Regarding the Russian and Belarusian Chess Federations
The Nordic Chess Federation, consisting of Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Greenland, respectfully urge the FIDE General Assembly and the FIDE Council to fully adhere to the IOC’s recommendations and guidelines concerning the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus. Accordingly, we call on all delegates to vote against the proposed resolution to reverse existing sanctions on the Russian and Belarus Chess Federations.
On Sunday, 14 December at 14:30, the FIDE General Assembly will convene digitally. The decisions taken will shape the coming year and signal to the global community the values and standards that FIDE, and the chess world, choose to uphold.
The most consequential item on the agenda is point 3.1: “Limitations regarding Russian Chess Federation and Belarus Chess Federation”¹ The Russian Chess Federation has misrepresented the IOC’s position and is requesting that the General Assembly: “ensure full participation of national teams representing the Chess Federations of Russia and Belarus” and “to restore the use of national symbols”².
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IOC imposed restrictions on Russian and Belarusian sport. That same year, the FIDE Council enacted sanctions aligned with these directives.³ The 2024 FIDE General Assembly reaffirmed these sanctions, allowing only a narrow exception to facilitate discussions with the IOC regarding youth and other vulnerable groups.⁴
FIDE has been a “Recognized Federation” within the IOC framework since 1999 and, as such, is obligated to follow IOC policy. IOC recognition is vital for many FIDE member federations, and for the integrity of our sport within the wider sporting community. We were encouraged by FIDE’s recent announcement of strengthened cooperation with the IOC.⁵ Easing restrictions now would jeopardize FIDE’s compliance with IOC policy and risk undermining its international standing.
The Nordic Chess Federation sees no change in circumstances that would justify revisiting or weakening the current sanctions. We urge the FIDE General Assembly and the FIDE Council to maintain full alignment with IOC guidance and to vote against the proposed resolution.
Across the international sporting landscape, implementation has at times been uneven. However, the direction from the IOC, general sports law, and recent CAS rulings is clear: Russian and Belarus teams should not be allowed to participate in international competitions. This was reiterated as recent as 11 December 2025, when IOC’s executive board recommended easing restrictions for youth athletes, while stating that: “the IOC’s Recommended Conditions of Participation for International Federations and International Sports Event Organisers of 28 March 2023 should remain in place for senior competitions.”⁶
The only exception is participation that follow the AIN (Individual Neutral Athlete) eligibility criteria.⁷
These criteria require that any Russian or Belarusian athlete must:
- Not have supported the war in Ukraine
- Not be contracted to military or security institutions
- Comply with strict anti-doping requirements
- Qualify through the standard competitive pathways
- Compete strictly as neutral athletes, without national flags, anthems, or identifiers
It appears that the recent decision to allow Russian players to take part in team events, such as the FIDE Women’s World Team Championship,⁸ is not consistent with these IOC principles, which clearly apply only to individual neutral athletes.⁹ Nor is it consistent with the decision of the 2024 FIDE General Assembly, which approved only a narrow exception for discussions with the IOC regarding youth and vulnerable groups.¹⁰
We appreciate that the situation is complex and that policies are evolving. Nevertheless, we expect, and sincerely hope, to see a clearer, more disciplined application of the IOC framework in the period ahead.
For the integrity of our sport and for FIDE’s continued standing within the Olympic Movement, we urge all delegates to vote against the proposed resolution.
Thank you.
Sluttnoter
1. https://congress.fide.com/2025…
2. https://doc.fide.com/docs/DOC/…
3. https://doc.fide.com/docs/DOC/…
4. https://www.fide.com/docs/deci…
5. https://www.fide.com/fide-stre…
6. https://www.olympics.com/ioc/n…
7. https://www.olympics.com/ioc/n… “Athletes with a Russian or a Belarusian passport must compete only as Individual Neutral Athletes”
8. https://www.fide.com/2025-2nd-… – CM2-2025/03
9. https://www.olympics.com/ioc/n… “Teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport cannot be considered.”
10. https://doc.fide.com/docs/DOC/… page 24.