Arkady Dvorkovich has temporarily stepped aside from his duties as president of the International Chess Federation, better known as FIDE, after being sanctioned by the European Union. The move came Thursday evening, according to the report.
The EU action was linked to accusations that Dvorkovich supported policies that threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty. Dvorkovich is also known as a former deputy prime minister of Russia, a detail that has kept his role in international sport under close scrutiny since the war in Ukraine reshaped global politics and sports governance.
His decision to suspend his work at FIDE puts fresh attention on how international sports bodies are handling leaders with ties to sanctioned officials and governments. Chess, like many other global sports, has faced growing pressure to respond to the political fallout from Russia’s actions and the sanctions that followed.
For FIDE, the temporary step-aside creates a leadership challenge at a sensitive moment. It also underscores how the impact of EU sanctions is reaching beyond government and business into the leadership of major international sporting organizations.
