[NEWS] Chess player Shipov: Ukrainians will be made sufferers and fighters for justice

Grandmaster Sergey Shipov commented on the decision of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, which recommended its athletes not to shake hands with Russians at competitions. His words are reported by TASS .

“The Ukrainian leadership, including the chess leadership, is going to turn the World Cup into a political forum where everyone will unanimously condemn Russia , and make Ukrainians sufferers and fighters for justice. This has nothing to do with chess, and I hope that the Ukrainian comrades, most of whom have been living abroad for a long time, will behave decently, since according to the laws of chess, handshakes before and after a game are obligatory,” Shipov said.

At the end of February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an appeal to international sports federations and recommended that they not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in any competitions.

Russian grandmasters could compete under the flags of the Russian Chess Federation (FCHR) or the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

Earlier, the Russian grandmaster said that he no longer wants to play for Russia in any competition.