Letter from Boyko Hristov

[John Upham]

Dear Colleagues,



Bulgarian Chess Federation Filed Statement of Appeal against FIDE at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne

Through its legal representatives, Marco del Fabro and Zoran Damjanovic, Bulgarian Chess Federation has filed the statement of appeal against FIDE within the set deadline. The appeal was filed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne with respect to the decisions taken at the last FIDE General Assembly in Istanbul.

Believing that Articles 13.5 and 13.6 of the Statute jeopardise the rights to fair procedure and just trial, Bulgarian Chess Federation required the abolition of these provisions. In addition, the annulment of the contract between FIDE and company Agon International Ltd was demanded.

Legal representatives of Bulgarian Chess Federation requested from the CAS to bring the decision according to which FIDE Presidential Board would be obligated to award, in compliance with the bidding procedure, the organisation of candidates' matches to Bulgaria or Azerbaijan. Finally, the introduction of interim measures was proposed, according to which the validity of the contract between FIDE and company Agon International Ltd would temporarily be suspended. That would mean the matches of candidates in London, planned for March next year, could not be held.

By starting this procedure, Bulgarian Chess Federation is of the opinion that it protects equal rights of all national federations, particularly regarding the bidding procedure. Additionally, the articles of FIDE Statute, adopted in Istanbul, which are called into question are the ones that would, if applied, put at risk possibility of any federation to appeal to the court provided it is dissatisfied with a FIDE decision.


P.S. Please find the press release attached to this e-mail


Boyko Hristov,

Press officer
Bulgarian Chess Federation
cell: +359 888 444 367