Five Federations Challenge FIDE's Russia And Belarus Policy At Court Of Arbitration For Sport
Thu, 02 Jul 2026
Ukraine, England, Norway, Estonia, and Germany have filed a complaint with the Court of Arbitration for Sport over FIDE's General Assembly decisions on Russian and Belarusian participation.
Five national federations — Ukraine, England, Norway, Estonia, and Germany — have filed a complaint with the Court of Arbitration for Sport challenging recent FIDE General Assembly decisions on the participation of Russian and Belarusian players and officials.The dispute has simmered since restrictions were first imposed following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with federations divided over how strictly those restrictions should be enforced and for how long. Some member federations have pushed for a full continuation of exclusionary measures, while others have favored a gradual return to competition under neutral status.FIDE has signaled it intends to defend its position before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the body that adjudicates disputes across international sports governance, rather than revisit the General Assembly's decisions through its own internal process.The complaint adds tension ahead of September's Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, where the FIDE General Assembly is due to take up related questions alongside this year's presidential election — a vote in which the federation's handling of the Russia and Belarus issue has already become a point of contention among candidates.A ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport is not expected before the Olympiad convenes, meaning the dispute is likely to remain unresolved as delegates gather in Samarkand.