ECF Bans Russians

[NickFaulks]

No one is banning sportsmen or women for being Russian

That is what Ukraine and Poland wanted, and I don't think the idea will go away. The provocative behaviour of some individual Russian athletes does not help.

[JustinHorton]

No one is banning sportsmen or women for being Russian, rather sportsmen and women are banned from playing under Russian colours.

The difference here is that they are specifically required to request to play as a non-Russian, without their flag and nationality.

We all understand that if I play in a FIDE tournament somewhere, although I have ENG attached to my name and may even have a flag or flag symbol at my board - plsying under English colours if you will - I am not representing England. (I believe this is discussed either upthread or on another thread.)

[Brendan O'Gorman]

No one is banning sportsmen or women for being Russian, rather sportsmen and women are banned from playing under Russian colours.

The difference here is that they are specifically required to request to play as a non-Russian, without their flag and nationality.

We all understand that if I play in a FIDE tournament somewhere, although I have ENG attached to my name and may even have a flag or flag symbol at my board - plsying under English colours if you will - I am not representing England. (I believe this is discussed either upthread or on another thread.)

Absolutely, and let's not forget that the ECF is bullying innocent Russian and Byelorussian players in this country for no practical purpose other than virtue signalling. It's not as if Putin will be bothered if he even notices.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Putin may not be bothered, sure, but chess is very important to many Russians.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Putin may not be bothered ....

Strongly disagree.

The prospect of chernaiev not being able to play at Golders Green rapidplay (at least as a ‘Russian’) isn’t going to lead to tanks heading back to Moscow, true.

Even so, there’s a reason the Russian defence minister is involved in the Russian chess federation and his (Putin’s) former deputy prime minister is the big cheese at FIDE.

[JustinHorton]

The British Chess Problem Society weighs in:

...the British Chess Problem Society, and the editorial team of The Problemist, will henceforth not publish problems or other contributions submitted by Russians.

This is deplorable and absurd.

[NickFaulks]

This is deplorable and absurd.

Yep, not long before we start stoning Borzoi dogs.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Jim Plaskett could always revive his proposal in 1988 to ban the Petroff (Russian) Defence?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"What morally-acceptable steps would he recommend the ECF instead takes to deal with, for example, habitual cheats and players who display violent (verbal or physical) behaviour towards others?"

I'm sure the ECF would like to know, just in case they wanted to start taking steps of this sort...

[Jonathan Bryant]

"What morally-acceptable steps would he recommend the ECF instead takes to deal with, for example, habitual cheats and players who display violent (verbal or physical) behaviour towards others?"

I'm sure the ECF would like to know, just in case they wanted to start taking steps of this sort...

Back in 2011 the ECF's then CEO said (on these very pages)

“The formal advice that I have received indicates that "the ECF does not have any legal mechanism" to punish players for cheating. Sanctions are possible within the specific event (in accordance with the laws of chess), but more far-reaching sanctions - such as a fine or a ban - appear to be problematic.”

https://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot. ... sited.html

What's the situation now?


This issue is going off topic a tad, sure, but it seems to me it's relevant somehow. Although I'm not entirely sure I can fully articulate how at this point.

[John Townsend]

I don't agree that this action of the British Chess Problem Society is "deplorable and absurd". On the contrary, I congratulate them. Every little helps. Ideally, we want the people of Russia to see that they need to replace Putin with someone who can get on with the West.

[David Sedgwick]

... if anybody was forbidden from playing chess tournaments because they were South African, then it is news to me.

As has been noted in other posts, a South African would have needed to affiliate to another Federation in order to play in a FIDE rated event.

In the Lloyds Bank Masters Tournament 1984, I played (and lost to) an "English" (ENG) player of whom I had never heard and about whom I could find no information. I subsequently discovered that he was an Iranian who had had to be designated as ENG in order to take part.

That was at the time when Ayatollah Khomeini had banned chess. That was of course a different situation from that which pertained to apartheid era South Africa, but it was similar in its effects.

[David Sedgwick]

Howard Curtis still owns CCF and all its businesses.

Off topic, but:

a) Can you substantiate that claim?

b) Do you have any information as to Curtis's current whereabouts?

(NB If this enquiry should generate responses, I shall ask the moderators to move the relevant posts to another thread.)

[Chris Goodall]

I don't agree that this action of the British Chess Problem Society is "deplorable and absurd". On the contrary, I congratulate them. Every little helps. Ideally, we want the people of Russia to see that they need to replace Putin with someone who can get on with the West.

It might make them see that, or it might make them see that Putin was absolutely right to stick two fingers up at the West. Remember how everyone who voted for Brexit changed their minds once the EU threatened us with cumbersome forms and airport queues? Me neither. The BCPS is betting that Russians are less headstrong than Brexit voters.

Anyway - how long does "henceforth" last? What event is going to trigger the unsuspension of Russia from the chess problem world? Putin winning the war and reinstalling Yanukovych in Kyiv? Ukraine stalemating Russia's troops at the Dneiper? Putin winning the 2024 election without rigging it very much?

[Ian Thompson]

Howard Curtis still owns CCF and all its businesses.

a) Can you substantiate that claim?

It's not obvious to me how that could ever have been the case when the holding company is a Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital.