Time.news – The Russian chess players take sides with Kiev and through a petition they ask President Putin to stop the war: “The Ukrainians are our brothers, we ask for peace”. This is a very strong stance given that in Russia chess is a national sport, so much so that it popularizes schools and clubs. The document, relaunched and translated on the social networks of the Italian Federation (Fsi), was signed by more than thirty players, among which the names of Ian Nepomniachtchi, Daniil Dubov and Aleksandra Kosteniuk stand out.
Resounding stance of many of the strongest Russian players, asking Putin to stop the war. And the petition is published on the Federation’s social networks! https://t.co/bpjpyvvsfv
– Italian Chess Federation (@federscacchi) March 3, 2022
“Appeal to the President of the Russian Federation of Russian chess players. We oppose military actions on the territory of Ukraine and call for a timely ceasefire and a peaceful solution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomatic negotiations”, reads the note released on site and on Twitter.
“It is unbearably painful for us to see the catastrophe that is happening to our peoples these days,” write the athletes who participate in international competitions without their own flag.
“We have always played for Russia in individual competitions and, with particular pride, in teams. We believe that chess, like sports in general, must unite people. The most difficult and prestigious international tournaments were held in our country at the highest level. levels even in full pandemic. Chess teaches responsibility for one’s actions and every action counts and a mistake can lead to a situation of no return. And if it has always been about sport, now people’s lives, rights are at stake and fundamental freedoms, human dignity, the present and the future of our countries “. Because of this, “in these tragic days, we think of all the people who have found themselves at the center of this terrible conflict. We share the pain with our Ukrainian colleagues and ask for peace “.
The Russian chess players then recall how the Ukrainian chess team holds the title of reigning European women’s champion, “one of the best teams in the world together with ours. We have played dozens of games and hundreds of games. We have always put the competitive challenge beyond above politics and the Ukrainians did the same. We ask you to give the teams, players and ordinary people of both countries a chance for mutual respect. We are for peace. Stop the war! “
On the other hand, Sergej Karjakin, world number 18 and Putin’s supporter, is missing. The former challenger to the title of world champion, defeated in 2016 by Magnus Carlsen, was born in the pro-Russian Crimea and in recent days has sparked an uproar with some tweets in favor of the Russian advance in Ukraine. The International Federation has opened an “ethical” case against him to evaluate his conduct and act accordingly. In Moscow, a few days ago, the possibility of organizing and hosting the next Olympics scheduled for the summer was also taken away.
Questi i nomi dei firmatari della petizione: Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Daniil Dubov, Peter Svidler, Andrey Esipenko, Maxim Matlakov, Kirill Alekseenko, Alexander Motylev, Evgeny Naer, Pavel Tregubov, Alexander Khalifman, Polina Shuvalova, Igor Lysy Dmitry Kryakvin, Vladimir Barsky, Mark Glukhovsky, Maxim Notkin, Maxim Chigaev, Anastasia Chigaeva, Olga Badelko, Pavel Ponkratov, Alexander Shimanov, Daniel Yuffa, Konstantin Mesropov, Svetlana Ershova, Evgeny Egorov, Anna Volkova, Eteri Kublashvili, Yana Sidorchuk, Anna Burtasova, Denis Grigoriev, Ilya Gorodetsky, Oleg Pervakov.