Back to Rhodesia

12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov told TASS reporter Andrey Fyodorovich Kartashov Monday that, following a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) will allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete in individual tournaments under FIDE flag (concession valid until May 31). “I spoke with [FIDE President] Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich, he said they did it on the recommendation of the IOC. As far as I recall, FIDE made such a decision only once in its nearly 100-year history — in 1977 as the Southern Rhodesian war was peaking in Africa”, Karpov said.