This decision was made at the General Assembly of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), where 61 delegates voted "in favor" and 51 "against." Thus, the restrictions on the use of national symbols for Russian athletes have been lifted.
Since the beginning of 2022, Russian and Belarusian chess players were unable to participate in FIDE tournaments. Later, they were allowed to compete in individual events, but without their flag and anthem, under a neutral status.
It is important to note that the International Olympic Committee has also lifted restrictions on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in youth competitions.
Recently, in October, the International Sambo Federation allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags at youth tournaments.
Additionally, the Executive Committee of the International Judo Federation (IJF) made the decision to restore the right of Russian athletes to compete with the anthem and flag of their state.
The Congress of European Gymnastics (EG) also decided to restore access for Russian athletes to competitions under the auspices of this organization.
