Arkady Dvorkovich, the Russian president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), has suspended his duties after the European Union sanctioned him over his role in supporting Russian actions undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Dvorkovich announced that he would stop exercising his powers as FIDE president for as long as he remains subject to EU and Swiss sanctions, arguing that the restrictions could interfere with the federation’s operations.
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He described the EU decision as “unlawful and unfair” and indicated that he intends to challenge the sanctions.
FIDE’s council accepted his decision and confirmed that Deputy President Viswanathan Anand – the Indian grandmaster and former world champion – will serve as interim president while the restrictions remain in effect.
EU cites occupied Ukrainian territories
Dvorkovich was added to the EU sanctions list as part of the bloc’s 21st package of measures imposed over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The package targets dozens of individuals and scores of entities and includes measures such as asset freezes and travel restrictions.
In explaining Dvorkovich’s designation, the EU pointed to both his former senior positions in the Russian government and his activities in the chess world.
The EU noted that Dvorkovich served as an aide to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and later as Russia’s deputy prime minister before becoming FIDE president in 2018.
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More significantly, Brussels accused him of publicly backing Russia’s annexation of Crimea and referring to occupied Ukrainian cities as Russia’s “new territories.”
Dvorkovich is also a member of the board of trustees of the Chess Federation of Russia, which the EU said organized chess competitions in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces, including Crimea and parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
The EU concluded that Dvorkovich was supporting actions or policies threatening Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Russia already suspended from FIDE
Dvorkovich’s departure from active duties comes just weeks after FIDE suspended the Chess Federation of Russia following a legal battle initiated by Ukraine.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Russia’s chess federation had improperly taken control of chess organizations in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces and ordered it to relinquish that control and stop organizing tournaments there.
After Russia failed to meet the deadline imposed by the court, FIDE suspended its membership on June 11. Ukraine’s chess federation described the outcome as a historic victory.
Russian adult players have nevertheless remained eligible to compete individually under the FIDE flag, while FIDE has also left open the possibility of Russian participation in team competitions under neutral status.
Dvorkovich had recently announced plans to seek another term as FIDE president. The election is due to take place during the federation’s General Assembly at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September.
Russian Sports Minister and Russian Olympic Committee chief Mikhail Degtyarev was also included in the EU’s latest sanctions package.
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