FIDE President Dvorkovich Suspends Duties After EU Sanctions; He Visited Jurmala Last Year
Arkady Dvorkovich has voluntarily suspended his duties as president of the International Chess Federation after being included in the EU's 21st sanctions package. Dvorkovich calls the decision unlawful and plans to challenge it. Vice President Viswanathan Anand will temporarily assume presidential responsibilities.
Arkady Dvorkovich, the president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), announced on Thursday that he is voluntarily suspending his powers after his name was added to the European Union's 21st sanctions package against Russia. The suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in place as long as EU and Swiss sanctions apply to him.
In his statement, Dvorkovich said he considers the decision unlawful and unfair and vowed to challenge it through all available legal means. Until a final court ruling is made, he has decided to step back from his duties. According to FIDE statutes, the presidential functions will be temporarily performed by Vice President Viswanathan Anand, the 15th World Chess Champion.
Dvorkovich, who served as Russia's deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2018 and earlier as an aide to Dmitry Medvedev, has been FIDE president since 2018. Just a year ago, he visited Jurmala, Latvia, to attend an international youth chess tournament organized by "Rudaga-Kaissa".
Earlier in June, FIDE suspended the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) from membership due to its active involvement in occupied Ukrainian territories. The suspension applies only to the federation; individual players are still allowed to compete in FIDE events under existing rules.
