Geography in a Time of War

On April 14, 2022, the Supervisory Board of Chess Federation of Russia unanimously voted to switch the Chess Federation of Russia’s membership from the European Chess Union to the Asian Chess Federation — a no-return move aimed at breaking up the conventio ad excludendum against Russia. As has now been reported, the application will be taken into account in the first quarter of 2023. It should be stressed that for most Russian Grandmasters the Chess Federation of Russia’s change of continent is the only alternative to a personal change of sporting nationality. Speaking with the TASS correspondents, Russian Grandmaster Alexander Igorevich Grischuk very prudently said that “The matter is difficult, because no one knows what and how will happen in the world. In the short run, that is good, at least for chess. I don’t know about football. But in the long run, it’s difficult to predict — even for chess”.

What Is to Be Done?

An invitational conference, titled Le faux sans réplique (The false without reply). War, war profiteers, and rising cost of living — what tools for a democratic and economic response?, organised by the cooperative Generazioni Future and the “Commissione Du.Pre (Dubbio e Precauzione)” (“Doubt and Precaution Commission”), is called at University of Turin — Campus Luigi Einaudi in Turin, Italy for Monday, November 28, 2022 10.00 A.M. with interventions, among others, by Giorgio Agamben, Massimo Cacciari, Joseph Halevi, Ugo Mattei, Fabio Mini, Geminello Preterossi, and Davide Tutino. For further details and information, click here.

Handstand

A painting of a gymnast doing a handstand has popped up on the wall of a destroyed building in Borodyanka, Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, and appears to be a work of British street artist Banksy. Photo: Andrew Kravchenko/AP.

White Silence

Thus, since September 22, 2022, Russian Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is back in the great chess family, after serving a six-month ban for his pro-Russia stance with regard to the Russo–Ukrainian war. “So my six-month disqualification is over! True, but there’s little joy in it, because the concrete opportunity to take part in international competitions is still very remote...”, he wrote on his Telegram account. “My participation is possible only if FIDE tournaments are held in friendly countries and if I can play under the Russian flag, without being obliged to change it with FIDE or CFR flags. Furthermore, it is also possible that FIDE, under pressure from the Western chess community, may change its mind”. Yet, even beyond the bombastic rhetoric of the “good” and the “bad”, this latter hypothesis is quite unrealistic as the rule of law of the free world is concerned, because, juridically speaking, nemo bis punitur pro eodem delicto. What will most likely happen is that Karjakin won’t be invited anywhere in the West anymore.

A Gentlemen’s Agreement

Speaking at a meeting of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Thursday, Deputy Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Andrey Mikhailovich Fedorov said that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) agreed to refund Russia the sum of over €1 million for the cancellation of the Chess Olympiad, which was originally scheduled in Russia, but due to the escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian war, was then moved to India. “In May this year, the International Chess Federation decided to return the funds in full — amounting to over €1 million €uros”, TASS quoted Fedorov as saying. “At the moment, almost €830,000 €uros have already been transferred to the Ugra budget, it being a part of what the region allocated in connection with the holding of said event on its territory. We expect FIDE to pay back the difference in the near future”.

On a Raft and Through the Desert

An invitational conference, titled On the Oligarch’s Yacht. The Bel Paese, the Constitution and dignity as liberty from need and blackmail, organised by the cooperative Generazioni Future and the “Commissione Du.Pre (Dubbio e Precauzione)” (“Doubt and Precaution Commission”), is called at the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies in Naples, Italy for Saturday, June 25, 2022 10.00 A.M. On the agenda is the denunciation of a government which, in the name of a so-called “European governance”, aims at turning flu pandemics and uncivil wars into instruments to keep the country in a permanent state of emergency. For further details and information, click here.

Мультивселенная (Multiverse)

Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, through an order published in the Kremlin website on Thursday, June 9, 2022, has instructed the government and regional authorities to organise the holding (all over the Russian Federation) of “commercially attractive sports tournaments with the participation of foreign individuals and teams” in order to break the cultural and sporting sanctions against Russia. Putin is reported by TASS to have set a deadline of December 30, 2022 for dealing with all the reforms and changes required in order to create new forms of international sports cooperation.

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of Ahab)

An invitational conference, titled On the Oligarch’s Yacht. The Bel Paese, the Constitution and dignity as liberty from need and blackmail, organised by the cooperative Generazioni Future and the “Commissione Du.Pre (Dubbio e Precauzione)” (“Doubt and Precaution Commission”), is called in Naples, Italy for Saturday, June 25, 2022 10.00 A.M. with interventions, among others, by Giorgio Agamben, Massimo Cacciari, and Ugo Mattei. For further details and information, click here.

Butterfly effect

Apparently, Russian Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin has no more friends since he has been stripped by FIDE of his right to join in the 2022 Candidates Tournament as a reprisal for his pro-Russia political views with regard to the Russo–Ukrainian war. At the moment, his career seems to be irreparably deadlocked, but he still believes that new autarchic scenarios may be developed. “There are Grandmasters in the top 20 in the world rankings who supported me and Russia — they put it in writing”, TASS quoted Karjakin as saying. “Hence, if invitational tournaments are held in Russia, there will be no risk of stagnation. It is clear that Magnus Carlsen won’t come, but we, as a chess school and as a chess nation, are on the top of the world. We are able to hold tournaments of the highest level, and I, among other things, began to work in this direction”.

Post-Secondary Contingencies

Today (May 16), the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has officialised the nomination as eligible candidate of Chinese Grandmaster 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) in the forthcoming 2022 Candidates Tournament at Madrid, Spain. The investiture of 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) came after a six-month ban was slapped by FIDE itself on Russian Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin — the legitimate candidate — because of his pro-Russia political views with regard to the Russo–Ukrainian war. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s eligibility, however, is (at least in theory) still contingent on Karjakin’s pending appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Curse of a King

Speaking with the TASS correspondent, 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov hinted that the 2022 Candidates Tournament, scheduled in Madrid, Spain from June 16 to July 5, might be postponed due to organisational and sponsorship issues. On one hand, it is hardly coincidental that Karpov has leaked such information on the very same day in which FIDE dismissed Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin’s appeal, thus in fact, depriving him of the right to compete in the Candidates Tournament. On the other hand, he showed skepticism about the chances of success of further appeals: “I think it’s pointless to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as it follows the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee, but our federation absolutely must raise the issue to FIDE Congress. It’s nonsense that the Ethics Commission can make political decisions”, Karpov said.

Avatar

On Friday, May 6, 2022, FIDE dismissed the appeal presented by the Chess Federation of Russia on behalf of Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, thus confirming the ban of six months. “It was all understandable, unpleasant, but I had no illusions about it as well”, Karjakin told TASS commenting on FIDE’s decision. “We will be now filing an appeal with CAS and we have ample grounds for this move. But, unfortunately, there will be no guarantees as well and chances are very small”. It goes without saying that, if Karjakin’s appeal to CAS proves unsuccessful, his spot in the 2022 Candidates Tournament will be taken by Chinese Grandmaster 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén).

Rumours of my escape are greatly exaggerated

Contrary to rumours, FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich did not abandon ship, as clarified in a brief note by Moskovskij Komsomolets (MK) dated May 4, 2022:

MK apologises MK, May 4, 2022 In the May 4 issue of our newspaper, in the article “Very Important Fugitives” as well as on the MK website, it was erroneously stated that former Deputy Prime Ministers Ilya Iosifovich Klebanov and Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich allegedly left the country. This is not true. We offer our deepest apologies to Ilya Iosifovich and Arkady Vladimirovich. The guilty were punished.

Hot Seat

Speaking with the Матч ТВ (Match TV) correspondent, FIDE Director General Emil Davidovich Sutovsky complained that the relationship with the Ukrainian Chess Federation has been anything but easy lately. “They are never content with our decisions. They want to impeach FIDE President [Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich] and get rid of him and the board of directors”, Sutovsky said. “The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine opened a case against Dvorkovich. Despite pressure from all sides, FIDE has the responsibility to maintain sobriety and objectivity of judgment”.

Battle of the Wilderness

FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission will make known on May 5–6 the details of its decision on the appeal filed by Russian Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, FIDE Director General Emil Davidovich Sutovsky said, as reported by Матч ТВ (Match TV). It should be recalled that if Karjakin’s appeal fails, his spot in the 2022 Candidates Tournament will be taken by Chinese Grandmaster 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén).

Ethically Correct

Russian Grandmaster Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, who was banned by the International Chess Federation for 6 months because of his pro-Russia stance, announced the filing of a complaint against FIDE Director General Emil Davidovich Sutovsky charging him with abuses of power and of language. The object of the dispute is what Sutovsky said by phone to Russian prankster duo Vladimir Alexandrovich Kuznetsov and Aleksei Vladimirovich Stolyarov, a.k.a. Vovan and Lexus, who then, for Karjakin’s sake, shared footage of them fooling Herr Direktor into thinking he was speaking to the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Vadym Markovich Gutzeit. Indeed, in the fictional conversation, Sutovsky said he hoped for a longer ban than six months, and that he is ready to resign his post if Karjakin should win his appeal. On the other hand, instead, it goes without saying that FIDE will dismiss Karjakin’s complaint against Sutovsky because, ethically speaking, it would be too unethical to render admissible as evidence a prank call.

The Kaspersky Gambit

Not a day has passed since chess.com, the most popular and cosmopolitan chess platform in the world, was blacklisted and banned (in Russia) by Roskomnadzor, the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, that it is already time to resume the debate about who invented the radio first: Marconi or Popov. Thus 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov who, speaking with Sport-Express, heralded the arrival of a surrogate: “We’ll develop a chess portal of our own. Regardless of the fact that chess.com got blacklisted, two weeks ago we sealed an agreement with Kaspersky Lab for their company to become our provider, including for organising competitions and defining an information system”, he said. “Details will be disclosed at a press conference as soon as possible. I think by September the company will have already created a Russian chess platform, and we will not depend on anyone”.

War of the Sixth Coalition

12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov has responded to the Swiss Minister of Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, Viola Patricia Amherd, who called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to expel Russia and Belarus from the list of its members, exhorting her to study the history of her own country. “Just remind this Minister that, if not for Russia, she wouldn’t even be born in Switzerland. Switzerland as a state exists thanks to the intransigency of the Emperor of Russia Alexander I. After the Napoleonic Wars, Switzerland was to be torn apart by all its neighbours. Alexander I was the only one who defended their rights and insisted upon the creation of the state of Switzerland”, Karpov said in a conversation with RBC. “This was in 1814. I understand that the Swiss Minister of Sport does not know world history, but at least she ought to have studied her own country’s history. Then, perhaps, she would have deserved the post of Minister”.

Where Nowhere Begins

FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich gave his second interview since the outbreak of the war, in Reykjavík to NRK journalists Oddvar Sagbakken Saanum and Christian Nitschke Smith, and he spoke about his tough reelection campaign between West and East. Indeed, due to circumstances beyond his control, Dvorkovich ended up being only one of the (too) many nemo propheta in patria, amidst the conflict (not only) of interest between FIDE and Chess Federation of Russia. Last month he shared his anti-war stance with an American magazine, which costed him dearly — politically as well as personally. By this time, he spoke through a Norwegian media outlet. “As FIDE President, I must find a way to unite people without taking a side”, he said. His problem is, however, that his fellow countrypeople are asking him — and even quite vehemently — to take a stand a little out of the Western “politically correct”. On the other hand, some of the Westerners who, whether pretendedly or not, acknowledge him as their President do not cease to ask him insistently for harsh reprisals and purges of Russian people. The ones and the others — although apparently antipodes — do wish him to be like Harlequin, servant of two masters. For him, “East or West, Home’s Best” is not a magic abracadabra since home is at war. And so, apparently, he has no other choice than staying where it is, in the alternate fictional world of FIDE. “As a Russian, I have to do it that way, I care about my country. I think there are ways to unite the world again”, he said. Quod cuncti gens una sumus.

The East in the West

President of Chess Federation of Russia, Andrey Vasilievich Filatov, expressed full satisfaction at the unanimous vote by the Supervisory Board on his proposal to transfer the Chess Federation of Russia’s membership from the European Chess Union to the Asian Chess Federation. “We noted that not one single important competition has ever been held in Russia in 30 years. Now chess life has just come back to Asia, and our future is there. We technically agreed on the membership switch issue. The Asian Chess Federation’s Assembly will vote in favour of our joining in the very near future”, Filatov told Матч ТВ (Match TV). “It would be great if all companies operating in the sports sector, especially small and medium-sized businesses, were exempt from taxes”.