Press Release from RCF regarding Crimea

European Chess Union to follow IOC and UN decisions

Tromso, Norway. As the 2014 Chess Olympiad continues, the General Assembly of the European Chess Union (ECU) has held gathered for a series of meetings. On the first day of discussions, delegates addressed the petition of the Ukrainian Chess Federation to make a decision regarding the jurisdiction of Crimean chess players

After a lengthy and heated discussion, the delegates rejected the motion of the Ukrainian Chess Federation to keep Crimean chess players and organisers under Ukrainian jurisdiction. Instead, the ECU delegates adopted a decision whereby the Union would be guided by UN documents and International Olympic Committee guidelines when making decisions on complex and potentially sensitive issues.

President of the Russian Chess Federation Andrey Filatov, who took part in the meetings, said the decision of the European Chess Union was balanced and consistent with the spirit and wording of the FIDE and Olympic charters.

During the course of the meeting, which got a little testy at times, Mr Filatov mentioned that he was born and raised in Ukraine and had been keeping a close eye on the events in his native country. The Russian Chess Federation is doing everything in its power to improve the situation for Ukrainian chess players and fans. In Rostov, for example, a series of chess-related events was held recently for refugee children.