World chess chief faces endgame after EU announces Russia war sanctions

"We hope never to see this man in the chess world again," said Volodymyr Kovalchuk, first vice president of the Ukrainian Chess Federation. "People who develop sport in the interests of an aggressor state have no place in senior international positions."Malcolm Pein, England's representative to Fide, described the move as "an earthquake and a massive diplomatic victory for Ukraine"."It may significantly reduce Russia's influence in the world of chess, something which – formerly the USSR and then Russia - has dominated and used as a tool of soft power since the Second World War," he told the BBC.Arkady Dvorkovich has overseen the federation during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the game. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, Russian national teams were banned from international chess competitions. But Ukraine and its allies say Russian influence within Fide has intensified under Dvorkovich's leadership. Moscow has been accused of carrying out a "slow takeover" of the federation, changing its internal rules and putting pressure on other nations' officials to vote in Russia's favour, which Moscow denies.Two years ago, with Dvorkovich at the helm, an attempt was made to officially re-admit Russian teams and officials. But in a crucial vote in September 2024, the Fide general assembly opted to maintain sanctions against Russia and its ally, Belarus.