Russia Is Angry About Its Chess Ban—And Wants Ukraine's Chess Chief Punished

The fallout from Russia's sudden suspension from FIDE was never going to be pretty—and now Moscow appears to be looking for retribution.

Just days after the world governing body suspended the Chess Federation of Russia (CFR) for failing to comply with a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling related to chess activities in occupied Ukrainian territories, CFR president Andrey Filatov has heightened his called for sanctions against Ukrainian Chess Federation (UCF) president Oleksandr Kamyshin.

According to comments reported by Russian state news agency TASS, Filatov repeated his calls for Kamyshin to be suspended from chess administration, accusing the Ukrainian official of violating FIDE's ethical standards.

It's Getting Personal

The remarks are the latest step in a growing campaign by Russian chess officials against Kamyshin.

The 41-year-old in an intriguing figure. He is a former Minister of Strategic Industries in Ukraine, one of the masterminds behind its drone industry, and an influential figure in the war-torn country.

Since becoming president of Ukraine's chess federation in September 2024 he has taken the fight to Russia by pushing back on its dominance in chess. That has not gone down well in Moscow.

Last week, FIDE suspended Russia's membership after the federation failed to meet a 90-day deadline imposed by CAS. The sports court had ruled that Russia must cease organising and regulating chess activities in Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian regions. When that deadline expired without compliance, suspension followed automatically under FIDE rules.

The full implications are not clear. Russia certainly loses its vote, but not its candidate, in the upcoming FIDE General Assembly. Russian players will still be able to play in international events, but the impact on Russian teams will be contested. According to the Nordic Chess Federation, however, that question is settled:

For Ukrainian chess, the decision was a landmark victory in its struggle to stop the aggressor violating its territory. For Russia, it was a humiliating defeat.

Now, rather than focusing solely on overturning the suspension, Russian officials appear to be shifting attention toward Kamyshin himself.

The dispute has become increasingly personal over recent months. Russian officials have previously accused Kamyshin of "warmongering" and filed ethics complaints against him, arguing that his public statements regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine are incompatible with FIDE's standards for chess officials.

Kamyshin and his supporters, meanwhile, have maintained that he is simply speaking about a war that directly affects his country and the chess community within it.

Filatov demanded Kamyshin is found guilty and handed the "maximum penalty." Whether Filatov's latest broadside gains any traction inside FIDE remains unclear.

FIDE is less than two weeks away from entering its latest election cycle for the post of president and that, as usual, will involve a lot of mudslinging.

Russia's former deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich is the incumbent and current front runner. However, that is if he avoids rumoured European Union sanctions being placed against him.

Potential challengers are also waiting in the wings, although no-one has definitively said they will stand.

Regardless, it is widely expected the German-based billionaire Wadim Rosenstein, who is playing in the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships this week, will stand and attempt to put together a broad coalition of anti-Dvorkovich delegates.

The English IM, chess organiser and journalist Malcolm Pein has also recently reiterated his pledge to stand against Dvorkovich, but only if he's sanctioned.

How this plays out is anyone's guess. But right now it's clear Russia is not willing to back down when it comes to FIDE.