ECU publishes the resolution on Russian players participating in European Championships

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Following the transfer of Chess Federation of Russia (CFR) to the Asian Chess Federation (ACF), the European Chess Union (ECU) published the new resolution clarifying the procedure for players participation in European Championships.

The whole text of the ECU resolution can be found below:

ECU notes that chess is by definition an individual sport, and that all players have the right to participate in FIDE world championships or continental championships under the flag of a new federation, already considering representation of a national team at the highest level.

ECU decides on players formerly belonging to the Chess Federation of Russia (CFR) that move to a European federation under the special resolution of the FIDE Council dated 22.2.2023 (https://fide.com/news/2247), hereinafter the “22.2.2023 resolution”, given the Asian Chess Federation (ACF) accepted the (CFR) as a member of the ACF as of May 1,2023:

For the ECU Individual Championships:

FIDE resolution defines that all these players (22.2.2023 resolution) have the right to represent the new federation in all official individual events of FIDE from the next day of submitting their application without any restrictions.

ECU clarifies that from 1 May 2023 players who belong to the CFR and the players who have moved to the FIDE flag from the CFR cannot compete in European Individual Chess Championships.

Exceptions

In good faith and in the spirit of sportsmanship, two senior players playing under the FIDE flag who registered for the European Senior Championship in Italy (May 25^th) prior to the Asian Chess Federation’s decision to admit the CFR, can still compete, but they have no right to be awarded any European title or medal.

 For the European Team Chess Championship 2023:

1. Any player, who moved according to the 22.2.2023 resolution, holding a government-issued document belonging to a country that is a European Chess Union member can play with the respective team of citizenship. The document giving evidence of such citizenship (passport or ID card) must be issued by the submission date of the basic team list, one month before the start of the competition.
2. For other players without citizenship of a European Chess Union member, any Federation can enlist no more than one such player in their open and women’s team, formerly belonging to the CFR (Chess Federation of Russia), who moved under its flag according to the 22.2.2023 resolution. However, this limitation does not apply to players who transfer according to the ordinary procedure described in the FIDE Handbook B.04.

For the year 2025 onwards:

Any Federation can enlist any player who had moved under its flag according to the 22.2.2023 resolution. The ECU notes that according to the current FIDE Handbook B.04, any player formerly belonging to the CFR may play any official FIDE event free from any transfer or compensation fee provided in a term of one to two years depending on residence.   

For any other ECU Team Competition:

1. For Youth and Seniors’ team events that are open to any number of teams, there is no restriction, and any Federations may decide each team composition according to its internal rules.
2. For the European Club Cup, European clubs have the right to enlist players belonging to any continent, however the following rules will apply according to the ECU GA and Board decisions:
   – There is not any restriction for players move based in the “22.2.2023 resolution.”
   – players formerly belonging to the CFR and transferred to FIDE Flag by 1^st May 2023 (or before) have the right to play. 
   – players who belong to the CFR can’t play for any club, until a further ECU Board or GA decision.

ECU resolution on players participation after the Russian Chess Federation joining the Asian Chess Federation