FIDE Decision on Transfer Regulations for Players
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has published a decision following the recent approval of the Resolution on Transfer Regulations. Under the guidance of the FIDE Council, the Resolution on Transfer Regulations seeks to address and establish relevant conditions regarding the participation of transferred players in FIDE team events. This resolution, developed in accordance with the Council’s prior resolution from February 22 2023, aims to address questions surrounding player transfers which took place before August 31 2023, and their integration into new federations. Key highlights of the resolution include: – Waiving of Transfer Fees for Ukrainian Players: FIDE has confirmed the waiver of Transfer fees for all Ukrainian players transferring during 2023-2024. This decision is anticipated to ease the transition process for Ukrainian players aiming to switch federations during this period. This only concerns FIDE transfer fees. Fees applied by the national federation remain. – Confirming the number of transferred players in FIDE Team Events: Teams participating in FIDE team events will now be allowed to include a maximum of 2 (two) players previously belonging to the Chess Federation of Russia who transferred to any of the ECU’s federation from March 1, 2022, until August 31, 2023. Additionally, once the general term restrictions expire, a transferred player will be able to participate in team events without limitation, thereby transitioning from their previous status. Moreover, federations have the prerogative to pay compensation fees for transferred players unable to participate for free, enabling their immediate inclusion in team events. Supporting this transition, FIDE announces the waiver of its transfer fees in cases where the old federation receives compensation fees for transferred players. – Extension of FIDE Flag Representation for Russian and Belorussian Players: Russian and Belorussian players currently performing under the FIDE flag will be granted an extension to continue playing under the FIDE Flag until January 1, 2025. The Resolution on Transfer Regulations is a step towards streamlining the process of player transitions between federations, supporting a more inclusive environment for international chess competitions. FIDE encourages federations, players, and stakeholders to adhere to these guidelines, fostering fair play and enhancing the spirit of sportsmanship within the global chess community. For more information, please visit the official FIDE website or refer to the Council Resolution.
2023 Sinquefield Cup: Day 2 Recap
The second round of the Sinquefield Cup, the final leg of the Grand Chess Tour, was full of surprises. News of Duda’s sickness rocked Round 2 and his scheduled game against Rapport had to be postponed. Meanwhile in other games the players brought the fight as usual, but all the games fizzled to a draw as they did in Round 1. ROUND 2 NEPOMNIACHTCHI-DOMINGUEZ | ½-½, 87 moves With a quiet start to this game, both players seemed to be comfortable as a draw loomed as the most likely result. Draw indeed we got, but not in the smooth way we expected. Dominguez pressed against Nepomniachtchi’s backward d2 pawn, and a few inaccurate moves left Dominguez a pawn up with all the chances in the world. Yet a seemingly innocuous move handed Nepomniachtchi the initiative, and he rode that momentum all the way to a winning position as Dominguez’s time dwindled down. Nepomniachtchi-Dominguez: Nepo’s 69.d7 threw away the advantage; instead 69.f4! would’ve won the game One misstep late in the game by Nepo and the contest finished in equality. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes FIROUZJA-GIRI | ½-½, 30 moves Two of the potential 2024 Candidates participants faced off against each other today, and as expected, the game did not disappoint. Firouzja showed opening prowess with his 9.b3, however Giri responded with a fierce counter. After 12…f5, Firouzja spent almost 20 mins calculating the position as Anish played quickly. The game reached its climax after 14…e4, to which Firouzja’s 15.dxe4 was met by 15…Nxf2, allowing liquidation and a draw shortly thereafter. 15. dxe4 (instead of 15.Ne1) proved inaccurate, but Giri bailed out with 15…Nxf2 16. exf5 Qd1+ SO-VACHIER-LAGRAVE | ½-½, 31 moves Wesley essayed the trendy 6.Bd3 against Maxime’s Najdorf. Both players appeared to know the line well, and reached an equal position pretty quickly. The game ended in an accurate, well-played draw. CARUANA-ARONIAN | ½-½, 50 moves The most exciting game was delivered by Caruana and Aronian. An unorthodox 7…exd4!? from Aronian steered the game into uncharted territory as the players kept approximate balance for a while in a complicated struggle. Then the always-creative Aronian, noticing Caruana’s lack of time, provoked Fabi into an exchange sacrifice with 27…c6!?. Caruana duly accepted, and Aronian made a critical mistake on move 31. Caruana-Aronian: 31…c3? allowed the white knight a passage to c5 via d2-b3 However Levon fought like a lion and Caruana was forced to acquiesce to a repetition shortly after time control. Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes DUDA-RAPPORT | POSTPONED Citing health issues, Duda couldn’t make it to the game, and hence the battle between Duda and Rapport was postponed to another time. Jan-Krzysztof posted on his Twitter, “More info will come.” We hope Duda will recover soon and will get back to the battlefield tomorrow! The moment when Richard Rapport found out that he will have a free day. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The Sinquefield Cup continues on November 23, with live coverage starting at 1:15 PM CST. Catch all the action live with grandmaster commentators Yasser Seirawan, Peter Svidler, and Jovanka Houska on uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels! Written by WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova Official website:grandchesstour.org/2023-grand-chess-tour/2023-sinquefield-cup/