Dozens of chess players refused to play for Ukraine: what happened
30 May 2024 18:17
Ukrainian chess players are massively refusing to play for Ukraine and switching to the flags of other countries. This has become known from public documents published by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, 110 Ukrainian chess players changed their flag and switched to playing for other federations. Most of these chess players (60 per cent) are under 18 years old. This shows the loss of the young generation of chess players. Of the above mentioned 66 are those who are 18 or younger as of now. Among the 44 who are more than 18, another ten are now under 23 years old.
It should be noted that some chess players chose to play under the flag of the Russian Federation. We are talking about eight athletes. But only one of them was a child, for the rest it was a conscious choice.
As the Ukrainian sports resource Tribuna.com notes, such transfers of chess players are often accompanied by payments. The first – transfer payment – is paid directly to FIDE. The second payment – a compensation payment – is paid by the new federation to the old one and depends on the rating of the individual chess player.
Thus, for 110 Ukrainians who changed federations, FIDE received 54,250 euros.
