Court ruling: Russia must curtail chess tournaments in occupation

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ordered the Russian Chess Federation to cease its activities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular in Kherson, as well as in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea.

The relevant decision stipulates that within 90 days the Russian side must completely stop organizing tournaments and any form of control over chess processes in these territories.

In case of non-compliance, Russia faces suspension from international competitions for up to three years. This decision actually replaces the previous fine of 45 thousand euros imposed by the International Chess Federation.

The Ukrainian Chess Federation filed a lawsuit with CAS back in 2023. The Ukrainian side claimed the illegal integration of chess structures from the temporarily occupied territories into the Russian system and the holding of official tournaments there.

The court sided with Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions violate the principle of the territorial integrity of the state and contradict international chess governance rules.

At the same time, the CAS dismissed some of the accusations against the International Chess Federation and its president, Arkady Dvorkovich, which concerned the political neutrality of the organization.

Earlier, Intent wrote that oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who previously controlled the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, supported the initiative to raise funds for the war. This refers to the Kremlin's proposal to involve big business in financing the hostilities against Ukraine.

According to the sources, Putin also made it clear that he has no plans to wind down the war despite the economic difficulties. His goal remains the complete seizure of Donetsk region, as, according to him, Ukraine does not agree to give up these territories.

In January 2025, the SBU blocked the supply of strategic raw materials for the Russian military industry. At the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, the court seized raw materials worth more than UAH 2 billion belonging to Russian oligarch Deripaska.

Андрій Колісніченко