FIDE Bars Russian Teams from the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand

The Board of Directors of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), following a vote, decided not to allow Russian teams to participate in the 2026 World Chess Olympiad. This was reported on Facebook by Vladimir Kovalchuk, Vice President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, according to Sport RBC.UA. According to him, two options were put to the vote: full admission of the Russian men's and women's national teams, and their participation under a neutral flag. Both proposals were rejected.

Voting Results and Kyiv's Position

Vladimir Kovalchuk called the decision "yet another victory for the Ukrainian Chess Federation," emphasizing that it was made "despite the mad pressure of former FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich." In support, he cited the original message from the FIDE Vice President: "No Russian Teams." On the eve of the meeting, the Ukrainian Chess Federation sent an official letter to FIDE, reminding it of the sanctions in force and the illegal activities of the Russian Chess Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Context: The Olympiad in Samarkand and the FIDE Elections

The 2026 World Chess Olympiad will be held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand from September 16 to 27. The decision to bar Russian teams was made against the backdrop of internal processes within FIDE: it was previously reported that one of the candidates for the post of federation president had a billion-dollar business in Russia. According to Ukrainian chess officials, this context underscores the significance of the board's vote against admission.

Reaction and Significance of the Decision

Russian chess circles reacted to the decision with restraint. As one representative of the Russian chess community noted in a conversation with the media, "this time they won," acknowledging the fact of the non-admission. Thus, the Russian national teams — both men's and women's — will not be able to represent their country at the year's main team tournament, continuing the line of restrictions on Russian athletes at international competitions.