Some chess players from Russia and Belarus have had their “neutral status” revoked at competitions.

FIDE allowed Russian and Belarusian teams to use national symbols in children’s competitions

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) approved a decision allowing Russian and Belarusian youth teams to participate in international competitions using national symbols. The federation’s General Assembly supported this initiative with a majority of votes.

The decision applies only to youth and junior teams, while adult teams are still required to perform under neutral symbols. This issue is planned to be discussed with the International Olympic Committee. During the voting, 61 FIDE members expressed support for the Russian team, 51 voted against, 14 abstained, and 15 did not vote at all. Regarding the Belarusian team, 69 votes were cast in favor, 40 against, 15 members abstained, and 17 did not participate in the voting. The restrictions on holding official FIDE events in Belarus have also been lifted.

It was noted that during the discussion, attention was drawn to the IOC’s recommendations, which call not to restrict access of young athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports to international competitions. This decision aligns with previous decisions about the possible admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the 2026 Olympics in a “neutral status.” Although before the Winter Olympics this issue became more pertinent, recently Russian judokas were allowed to participate in world competitions under their flag.