International Chess Federation bans Russian and Belarusian national teams
The International Chess Federation has banned the Russian and Belarusian national teams from official competition until further notice, according to a release from the Federation (FIDE).
“Taking into account the current recommendations of the IOC [International Olympics Committee], the FIDE Council suspends the national teams of Russia and Belarus from participation in official FIDE tournaments until further notice,” the statement read.
The statement also noted that individual Russian and Belarusian players would still be allowed to participate in individual tournaments in the FIDE World Championship cycle, but these players will need to participate under the FIDE flag.
The move is made in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia currently has 20 players in the FIDE’s top 100 rating. The highest-ranked Russian player, Ian Nepomniachtchi, is ranked 8th.