The Pawns Fall: EU Sanctions Rock International Chess Federation The news that Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (Fide), has stepped aside due to European Union sanctions is a seismic shift in the world of chess.
For decades, Russia has exerted significant control over the global chess community, using its influence to promote Moscow's interests.
Dvorkovich, a former Kremlin official, publicly supported the annexation of Crimea and referred to occupied Ukrainian cities as "new territories" of the Russian Federation.