The Official Statement of FIDE Council
Today, on February 27, 2022, an extraordinary meeting of the FIDE Council was held on the current situation and the urgent measures to be taken after the military action launched by Russia in Ukraine. As stated by the FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, the FIDE Council regards its main mission in preserving the unity of FIDE and respecting the basic human rights enshrined in the FIDE Charter. In this regard, the FIDE Council has adopted a number of important emergency decisions. FIDE Council approves the following statement condemning the military action: “FIDE expresses its grave concern about the military action started by Russia in Ukraine. FIDE stands united against wars as well as condemns any use of military means to resolve political conflicts. FIDE will take any necessary action to ensure the security of chess players and other members of the chess community. No official FIDE chess competitions and events will be held in Russia and Belarus.” Following the call from IOC, the FIDE Council decides that no Russian and Belarusian national flag be displayed or anthem be played in all FIDE-rated international chess events. Instead – the national chess federation’s flag or the official symbol/logo shall be used. A simplified procedure for performing under the FIDE flag would be followed where it is crucial for the players or any other chess officials under the current geopolitical situation. In order to safeguard FIDE from reputational, financial, and any other possible risks, FIDE terminates all existing sponsorship agreements with any Belarusian and Russian sanctioned and/or state-controlled companies and will not enter into new sponsorship agreements with any such companies. FIDE Council condemns any public statement from any member of the chess community which supports unjustified military action and brings the case of chess grandmasters Sergey Karjakin and Sergey Shipov to the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission. The FIDE Council reaffirms the FIDE Congress dates, welcomes the AICF’s bid to host the 44th Chess Olympiad, and suggests 10 days for other bids. The FIDE Council suggests that regardless of the organization of the Chess Olympiad 2022, FIDE will organize the annual FIDE Congress during the previously planned dates – from 27.07.2022. till 02.08.2022. with the election date on 01.08.2022. The preference is to combine the FIDE Congress with the Chess Olympiad 2022. However, consultations with the potential organizers of the Chess Olympiad 2022 will be carried out and adjustment of the FIDE Congress dates is possible if it does not imply a notable delay of elections. The FIDE Council confirms that the continental elections shall be organized within their constitutional terms. The FIDE Council confirms its commitment to the continuation of all the established development programs for national federations, zones, continents, and affiliated organizations. * * * March 2, 2022 update: After receiving the opinion of Mr Rivello, the Chair of FIDE Constitutional Commission, the FIDE Council decides to suspend the title of the FIDE Ambassador for Life for Anatoly Karpov and asks the General Assembly to take a decision on the matter. The FIDE Council also approves that sanctioned persons would be denied to hold any honorary or official positions in FIDE and would not be invited to any official FIDE events. Both decisions have been taken by the majority of votes. 2022 Extraordinary FIDE Council Meeting: Protocol (click to download)
FIDE Grand Swiss & Women’s Grand Swiss 2023 – Call for bids
1.1 The International Chess Federation (FIDE) will hold the Grand Swiss Tournament & Women’s Grand Swiss Tournaments in the second half of 2023 (see the Tournaments Regulations for FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss). 1.2 FIDE is opening a bidding procedure to invite any federation member of FIDE or any organiser approved by the national federation to host the event. The federation’s letter of support may be provided later when the bid’s evaluation procedure is launched. 1.3 The bid may contain special proposals on financial and commercial conditions. The FIDE Council shall decide whether these conditions are admissible. 1.4 The Bidding Form shall be filled in by an Applicant. A signed copy shall be submitted as e-mail messages to the FIDE Secretariat to office@fide.com from 3 to 17 March 2022 by 23:59 Lausanne time (FIDE has a right to extend this deadline). All the documents shall be submitted in English. Additional documents may be requested by the FIDE General Strategy Commission (GSC) for further evaluation. 1.5 Bid Evaluation Report shall be presented by GSC for approval of FIDE Council. 1.6 Once the Organiser is granted the right to organise the event, a relevant announcement shall be made on the FIDE website. FIDE Technical Delegate (FIDE TD) may be appointed at the same time to supervise the event on behalf of FIDE in consultation with GSC.
92nd FIDE Congress: 2021 FIDE Zonal Council Minutes
FIDE publishes the Minutes of FIDE Zonal Council Meeting which was held on December 26th, 2021. Location: Warsaw/hybrid. Download FIDE ZONAL COUNCIL MINUTES (pdf)
2021 4th FIDE Council Agenda and Commissions reports/proposals
FIDE publishes the Agenda of the 4th FIDE Council meeting which was held on December 27th, 2021. Location: Warsaw/hybrid. Download FIDE COUNCIL AGENDA (pdf)
92nd FIDE Congress: 2021 FIDE General Assembly Minutes
FIDE publishes the Minutes of FIDE General Assembly meeting which was held on December 28th, 2021. Location: Warsaw/hybrid. Download FIDE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MINUTES (pdf)
2022 Extraordinary FIDE Council Meeting: Protocol
FIDE publishes the Protocol of the Extraordinary FIDE Council Meeting which was held online on February 27, 2022. Download PROTOCOL (pdf)
FIDE Grand Prix Belgrade: Round 1 Recap
The second leg of the FIDE Grand Prix organized by World Chess got off to a sharp start with four players securing victories and four games ending in a draw. The first round was opened with a brief ceremony where the players were welcomed by the Serbian minister for sport, Vanja Udovicic, who was one of the world’s best ever water polo players (the sport is very popular in Serbia and southern Europe). Together with the head of the Serbian Chess Federation Dragan Lazic, Mr Udovicic made the first move in the game between Richard Rapport and Vladimir Fedoseev. The first round of the second leg of the FIDE Grandprix concluded with Dmitry Andreikin, Nikita Vitiugov, Anish Giri and Vidit Gujrati scoring victories. The four other games all ended in a draw. The 16 players are split into four pools with four participants each. The winner of each pool progresses to the knockout semi-final, and the two winners meet in the final. Pool A The first game in Pool A was between two seasoned players – Alexander Grischuk and Dmitry Andreikin, which was won by Black. Andreikin out-calculated his countryman in a sharp Sicilian battle. Most likely, Grischuk missed a queen sacrifice 21…Qxe1! which gave Black a rook and two minor pieces in return. After Andreikin regrouped his pieces to launch a decisive attack, Grischuk capitulated. It was a rough day for both players. Andreikin landed in Belgrade just a few hours before the round, having to endure an almost epic travel ordeal changing flights between Moscow – St Petersburg – Istanbul and, finally, Belgrade. “I didn’t sleep much, and I was afraid of entering into a long boring endgame and that I might fall asleep”, noted Andreikin explaining that this made him opt for some sharper lines. At one point, he also semi-jokingly added that he wanted to play more interesting lines. Grischuk also said that it wasn’t his day, voicing his concerns about the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and making a long sharp statement about the actions of the Russian government. The second game of Pool A, between Etienne Bacrot and Sam Shankland, ended in a draw. Bacrot took the initiative and created an edge for White, approaching a significantly better – if not won – position. However, he missed a couple of relevant moves giving space to the American to jump back into the game. After White’s 24.Qxb7?, Black equalised. There were plenty of interesting skirmishes afterwards, but nobody managed to get the upper hand. In the post-game interview, Shankland confessed to being “over-optimistic” with certain moves. “After 15.e5 Ne8, the more I was looking at the position, the more I thought I was checkmated”, said Shankland adding that afterwards “it got messy” and that he was “under a lot of pressure”, but that towards the end he managed to improve. Bacrot noted that he wasn’t very precise with executing his advantage. “I am not completely professional anymore. I had chances today, but I needed to play one or two good moves more”. Pool B This pool of players produced the longest and the shortest game played in the first round. The first game to finish on the first day of the Belgrade Grand Prix was between Pentala Harikrishna and Nikita Vitiugov. There isn’t really much to say about the game as White blundered on move 13. with Nxd5, ending up a pawn down and in a hopeless position. “I missed 13…Ne4… It just happened. I thought Black would take on d5…”. It just goes to show that these things happen even to the best professionals. “This is not the first time I blundered, and it won’t be the last time. It happens. But I will just think about tomorrow’s game and fight,” said Harikrishna. A much tougher struggle unfolded in the game between Anish Giri and Amin Tabatabaei, who were the last ones to finish, after nearly five hours of play. In the Giuoco Pianissimo of Italian Game so popular nowadays, Giri introduced a very interesting novelty with 10.b4. Tabatabaei struggled to find the best solution for a new situation that emerged. In the subsequent battle, Giri handily outplayed his opponent and scored a full point. In the post-game analysis, the two players reflected on the issue of dealing with mistakes and how to keep on fighting. Giri pointed out that even after making a big mistake, “it’s never too late” to make a comeback. “In chess and in life, you make a mistake, and it often happens that you continue making mistakes one after the other. In theory, if you’re able to improve just after one mistake, but in life, it’s different… You can learn from your mistakes; it’s just important that they don’t come at the crucial moment”, said Giri. Pool C The game between Richard Rapport – who has for some time now been living in Belgrade – and Vladimir Fedoseev ended in a draw. White managed to grab the initiative in the opening, putting Black in an uncomfortable position. Fedoseev resiliently held his ground, managed to find the right balance and, eventually, saved half a point. In the second game of the pool, Vidit Gujrathi scored an impressive victory over Alexei Shirov in a very sharp game. In a rare line of the Najdorf, Vidit introduced a novelty 8.Nd5 and the opponents stepped into uncharted territory. Shirov equalised with active play but was then maybe too aggressive with pawn-push, handing White the edge. The position remained dynamic and sharp but after 23…Qe8 Shirov lost a piece and, with it, the game. Pool D Both games in Pool D ended in a draw. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, playing as White, tested Alexandr Predke in the Ruy Lopez. Predke not only passed the test but also emerged better after a fierce clash in the centre. Maxime had to work hard for a draw and, eventually, he reached it. Following the game, the World Blitz Champion said that despite not being very satisfied with his performance, it was a “useful exercise” for him to play such a long game where he had to work a lot and calculate and that it will help him get into his form
The second leg of FIDE Grand Prix 2022 kicks off in Belgrade
The second leg of the 2022 Fide Grand Prix series was officially opened in Belgrade, Serbia. In the next 14 days, 16 top world players will try to advance in the 2022 GP series in the hope of securing one of the two places leading to the Candidates Tournament The Opening Ceremony was held at the ballroom of the “Dom Grade” venue – an impressive building from the 1920s, which was once home to the Serbian Royal Guard. The guest list included prominent Serbian chess figures, athletes, senior government officials and business representatives and was attended by many journalists. The host of the evening, Dragan Lazic, the president of the Serbian chess federation, reminded the guests of the long-lasting chess tradition in Serbia and former Yugoslavia and the tremendous popularity the game has in this part of Europe. “The Serbian public has been eagerly anticipating once again to see some of the strongest world chess players,” Lazic said. The president of the Serbian chess federation also emphasized that chess is a game of peace and that “in these complex and difficult times we should all remember to act in the spirit of the motto of FIDE: ‘Gens Una Sumus’ – ‘We are one Family’”. FIDE Vice President Lukasz Turlej noted how popular chess is in Serbia and also reflected on the rich chess history of the country: “We appreciate how many people play chess in Serbia, and we are happy that such a big and important event is hosted in this country.” Turlej expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped in organizing this event and wished the tournament participants “a wonderful start”. The speeches were followed by a remarkable short video covering the history of chess in former Yugoslavia. The video included never before seen footage of famous players attending tournaments and events across former Yugoslavia. The video will also be broadcast on Serbian national television, which will air daily reports from the Grand Prix. Following the Opening Ceremony, the guests were invited to attend a reception where they discussed chess and the pairings for the first round, which were determined by the drawing of lots held by Chief Arbiter Nebojsa Baralic earlier today. Round 1 pairings: Pool A: Alexander Grischuk (CFR/FIDE), 2764 — Dmitry Andreikin (CFR/FIDE), 2724Etienne Bacrot (France), 2642 — Sam Shankland (USA), 2708 Pool B: Pentala Harikrishna (India), 2719 — Nikita Vitiugov, (FIDE), 2726Anish Giri (Netherlands), 2772 — Amin Tabatabaei (Iran), 2623 Pool C: Richard Rapport (Hungary), 2763 — Vladimir Fedoseev (FIDE), 2704Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (India), 2727 — Alexei Shirov (Spain), 2704 Pool D: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), 2761 — Alexandr Predke (FIDE), 2682Yangyi Yu (China), 2713 — Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), 2767 Full pairings for the pool stage can be found here. Text: Milan Dinic Photo: Mark Livshitz About the 2022 Grand Prix series: The three-tournament series, which will unfold from February to April, features 24 of the world’s best Grandmasters competing in two out of three events. To make the series more exciting with a minimum number of draws, FIDE and World Chess have changed the format compared to previous events. In this series, each event consists of a group stage followed by a knockout semi-final and final. Two winners of the series will qualify for the Candidates Tournament that will take place later in 2022. The prize fund for each event is €150,000, which is a €20,000 increase from 2019. The second leg of the FIDE Grand Prix will take place in the Crowne Plaza in Belgrade (Vladimira Popovića 10) from March 1 to 14. The rounds start at 3 PM Belgrade time. The games will be broadcast live at worldchess.com: https://chessarena.com/broadcasts/13605. For further questions, please contact media@worldchess.com. Official Photo FIDE Grand Prix Belgrade Press kit
Parligras and Ciolacu win Romanian Championship
The Romanian Championship 2022 took place in Eforie Nord from February 20–27. The event included Open, Women’s and Amateur championships with a total prize fund of 100,000 lei (approximately $26,700). All three competitions were 9-round Swiss tournaments with classical time control. The Open Championship that brought together all top Romania players, except for the 2021 champion Bogdan-Daniel Deac, was a very close affair, with the rating favourites vying for the top position to the very end. GM Mircea Pârligras (pictured below) stringed together four victories in the middle of tournament distance and finished with three draws against his main rivals, which was enough to climb to the top with an impressive result 7/9. Mircea took his third national title – he previously won this event in 2001 and 2016. Four players tied for second place, scoring 6½/9. The Buchholz favoured a five-time national champion, Constantin Lupulescu and Tiberiu-Marian Georgescu, who claimed silver and bronze, respectively. Final standings: 1 GM Parligras, Mircea-Emilian 2575 7 2 GM Lupulescu, Constantin 2620 6½ 3 GM Georgescu, Tiberiu-Marian 2467 6½ 4 IM Gavrilescu, David 2512 6½ 5 IM Anton, Teodor 2457 6½ 6 GM Nanu, Costica-Ciprian 2513 6 7 GM Nevednichy, Vladislav 2498 6 8 FM Ghimpu, Samuel-Timotei 2420 6 9 GM Manolache, Marius 2485 6 10 GM Miron, Lucian-Costin 2511 6 In the Women’s Championship, the defending champion Alessia-Mihaela Ciolacu (pictured below) started off with five wins in a row, grabbed the lead and never looked back. Coming into the final round a full point ahead of her closest competitors, she pushed hard against Andreea-Bianca Panainte and reached a won position but let the victory slip away in the endgame. Still, she netted impressive 7½ points out of 9 and won her second straight national title. The ninth-rated Miruna-Daria Lehaci surprised many by scoring 7/9 and claiming silver. Mihaela Sandu finished on 6.5/9 and took bronze. Final standings: 1 WFM Ciolacu, Alessia-Mihaela 2239 7½ 2 WIM Lehaci, Miruna-Daria 2125 7 3 WGM Sandu, Mihaela 2269 6½ 4 IM Bulmaga, Irina 2390 6 5 IM Peptan, Corina-Isabela 2384 6 6 WCM Panainte, Andreea-Bianca 1865 6 7 WGM Cosma, Elena-Luminita 2281 5½ 8 WGM Ionescu, Irina 2131 5½ 9 WFM Cosman, Andreea-Marioara 2127 5½ 10 Hoanca, Alexia-Ioana 1710 5 Stefan Romulus (pictured above) and young Mihai Venetenu shared first place in the Amateurs section, with the former claiming the title thanks to better tiebreaks. Official website: frsah.ro/ Photo: Romanian Chess Federation Facebook page
Magnus Carlsen wins Airthings Masters
Magnus Carlsen has won the first event of the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, the Airthings Masters, after overcoming Ian Nepomniachtchi with a classy display today. The World Champion was hugely-impressive in the 16-player online super-tournament knockout stages, having struggled at times during the round-robin. Then on day 2 of the final, after five draws against his Russian opponent, Carlsen turned on the style to break through. In Game 6, the 31-year-old marched his king up the board and weaved a mating net around Black’s monarch. Ian had to resign and was left needing a draw in the next game just to stay in it. True to his style, Nepomniachtchi didn’t play safe and tried to hit back. Yet Carlsen, who faced Ian for the world title back in December, did not flinch and turned a piece advantage into the win he needed to secure the title. The Norwegian said after: “These things are always going to be about whether you can perform on that particular day. But even so, my games were going in a positive direction here. “I felt I was playing better as the tournament went along, and that was enough.” Carlsen paid tribute to his opponent but said it just wasn’t his day. The Russian, who was on fire early on in the tournament and topped the prelims, has been under considerable strain given the events happening in Ukraine, which he expressed considerable unease about. However, he managed to hold himself together and contributed to a sparkling first day of the final yesterday when the two players were left locked at 2-2. The Meltwater Champions Chess Tour will return with the next event starting on March 19. For further comments, contact: Leon Watson – leon@championschesstour.com About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide, determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com, with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information, visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market-leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG.