Russian Chess Federation Criticizes FIDE Council Decision to Exclude Its Players from 2026 Olympiad

Alexander Tkachev, the executive director of the Russian Chess Federation, announced on Monday that the FIDE Council has made a decision to exclude Russian players from participating in the World Chess Olympiad scheduled for 2026.

Russia's TASS news agency quoted Tkachev as saying that the decision was issued by the FIDE Council, noting that there are individuals who place their personal interests above all else, and that these individuals currently control the council. He added that this group is driving the current decisions.

In a related context, a prominent Russian chess grandmaster called for a change in the leadership of the International Chess Federation, stating that the time has come for it. This call came in the wake of the decision, which observers described as an escalatory step in the relationship between the Russian Federation and the international governing body of the game.

This development comes at a time when the international sports arena is witnessing increasing tensions over the participation of Russian athletes in world championships, especially in sports governed by international bodies based in Western countries.

On the other hand, in a separate development, U.S. diplomatic missions in the Middle East urged American citizens to consider leaving the region. Sputnik news agency reported that U.S. embassies in Israel and several Arab countries issued warnings on Saturday about the potential escalation of conflict in the region, urging Americans to consider leaving.

These warnings come amid an atmosphere of tension and anticipation in the Middle East, without further details on the nature of the potential escalation that might occur.

It is worth noting that Russia had earlier this year seen an increase in its value-added tax revenues, as the higher tax rate added about $5.36 billion to the country's budget during the first half of 2026, according to official data.