Nielsen stressed both the symbolic and practical importance of the verdict. “This ruling demonstrates that no matter how the Kremlin may view these regions, they will not be considered part of Russia for everyday life, including sports, culture, or chess,” he said.
“It was important to establish that Russia organizing chess in occupied territories was not ‘humanitarian,’ as FIDE President [Arkady] Dvorkovich once described it. Russia organizes chess systematically in occupied territory and uses it for propaganda,” Nielsen added.
Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi pointed out that the ruling reinforces Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the sporting sphere and lays the groundwork for additional lawsuits against Russian sports federations operating in occupied territories.
The Russian side has signaled its intent to ignore the ruling. “We live according to the laws of the Russian Federation. We have complied with them, we are complying with them, and we will continue to comply with them,” Alexander Tkachev, executive director of the RCF, said, noting that the CAS ruling “contradicts Russian law.”
CAS stipulated in its judgment that non-compliance by the Russian Federation should result in the immediate suspension of its FIDE membership for three years. The decision forces Moscow to choose between halting its activities in occupied regions to regain some international sporting legitimacy — or continuing to use sports as a political tool and facing the consequences.
“What does FIDE do then?” Nielsen wondered, about a scenario in which the Russian side does comply with the decision. “By CAS decision, they should immediately suspend the Russian Federation’s membership. However, the more likely scenario is that the Russian-led federation will try to avoid that. I, honestly, do not know what happens next then.”
In a statement provided to POLITICO, FIDE said it “has taken note of the recent decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). As previously communicated in our official statement, FIDE respects the authority of CAS and will act in accordance with its rulings and the applicable FIDE regulations.”
“Compliance with the decision will be handled through FIDE’s established regulatory and governance processes. Any other matters related to the question would be addressed within this framework,” it added.