I DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE DECISION OF THE ESTONIAN CHESS FEDERATION

Look at the sports news:

"Chess At War: Rebel Federations Take FIDE's Russia Decision To CAS" 
World Chess News, 06 January 2026

Quotation:

"This week the national federations England, Norway, Estonia and Germany announced they have collectively filed an appeal with Ukraine to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIDE. Their complaint is about the FIDE General Assembly's decision to readmit fully Russia and Belarusia into chess team sport and allow their symbols to be used."

I am an Estonian citizen, a sufficiently strong chess player, and a philosopher, and I have to announce the following:

1. I am strongly against politicizing sports. 
2. I am even more strongly against politicizing sports in a selective, discriminatory manner.

For example, the US chess players or chess institutions have not been sanctioned for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars that the US started and kept for decades.

The Israeli chess players or chess institutions have not been sanctioned for the Gaza genocide committed by Israel. 

Moreover, look at the phrase "full-scale invasion" in the article:

"The Russia/Belarus question has been bitterly dividing the chess world since, in the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022."

The question is about why they never called the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq "full-scale invasions". It is obvious that these invasions were full-scale - if that word has any meaning at all.

Moreover, look at the complaint that FIDE has violated its rules, etc. According to the article, in its public statement, the Norwegian Chess Federation said: 

"The Appellants submit that the challenged resolutions were adopted following serious procedural irregularities, including violations of the FIDE Charter and fundamental principles of transparent and lawful decision-making within international sports governance."

You have no self-respect whatsoever.

When FIDE, in 2022, decided to impose sanctions on Russia, the decision-making process was already not transparent. 

Moreover, FIDE changed its rules ad hoc - solely to be able to impose sanctions on Russia.

These are the facts.

In sum, I am of the opinion that the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were completely unjustified; the Russian invasion of Ukraine was better justified, but also not sufficiently justified (taking into account the principle of proportionality and the large numbers of war victims); and the sports sanctions imposed on Russia were unjustified and discriminatory.

This is my opinion about those chess pederations who are trying hard to weaponize sports. 

The officials of Estonian Chess Federation

MY COMMENTS ARE LOCKED ON THE CHESSDOTCOM

In the News section of CHESSCom, I commented on an article about the US State Department's letter to the FIDE regarding chess sanctions on Russia.

My position is firmly that chess should not be politicized, but if it is politicized, it must be done coherently, not selectively or discriminatively.

I have received answers that I am a "goat" and an "idiot". Most of the replies to my comments completely ignored the content of my arguments or distorted them seriously.

Immediately after I wrote that the US State Department was meddling in the FIDE voting on chess sanctions, I discovered my comments were locked.

However, I have received NO message from the CHESSCom that my account was restricted. 

Instead, the message says that I must activate my account to comment.

But my account is pretty much activated.

The message says I have to confirm my email address. It is confirmed already.

When trying to confirm it again, the system says that it is my old email address. It is.

The Support does not help at all. A bot answers the questions, and it NEVER reaches the point.

Of course, I could change my email. However, in that case, the comments would be blocked for 24 hours.

Therefore, I started to feel that there was something deeply wrong with CHESSCom.

I have played there for a few months now.

Currently, my rating in rapid chess is above 2100, and in the puzzles, I am above 3400.

However, I may abandon that chess platform altogether due to political (and not so-intelligent) propaganda and weird technical behaviour.

Comments are Locked

Post Scriptum

I had difficulties reaching the Support Team. Some bots answered, and in my case, their answers were useless. It was not easy to get around the bot. Finally, I succeeded in contacting the Support Team. A few hours later, I was able to make comments again.

Later, however, I received a message that it was a bug and that the commentarium of the article about FIDE sanctions was locked for everyone. 

Strange. In that case, it looks like an attempt to hide the fact that the commentarium of the article about FIDE sanctions has been locked.

CARLSEN ENDORSES POLITICIZATION OF CHESS

There is a piece of fresh news that Magnus Carlsen publicly endorsed chess sanctions on Russia and Belarus:

Tarjei J. Svensen

"Carlsen Accepts G.O.A.T. Award, Urges FIDE To Uphold Restrictions On Russia, Belarus"

ChessDotCom News, 20 September 2024 

Quotation:

"Carlsen used the moment to express humility and send a strong message against reinstating the Russian and Belarusian chess federations."

However, I have some questions:

• Why "humility" and why not "slavishness"? 
• Why impose chess sanctions against Russia and not against the US or Israel?
• Isn't it a conflict of interest if Carlsen's main rival, Karyakin, is eliminated from the competition using political arguments, and Carlsen and his coach endorse it?

CHESSDOTCOM WEIRD BEHAVIOUR

It is surprising. When trying to see the country of my opponent, that chess platform did not reveal it directly. Instead, it showed me the banner

"Click to see our stance on the war in Ukraine"

I am surprised because it is a chess platform that declares that it does not allow political propaganda.

It is even more impressive that it shows the US flag of the opponent and does not say

"Click to see our stance on the occupation of Iraq"

It also shows the Israeli flag and does not say

"Click to see our stance on the Gaza genocide"

Thus, that chess platform politicizes sports while doing it selectively and discriminatively.

There are other such features on that platform, too.

I am playing on such a platform only because I hope there are sufficiently many strong players.

I do not regard it as the best chess platform, and I do not appreciate such politicization of sports, particularly if it is selective and biased.

This is a disclaimer.

PAUL KERES IS TOO EXPENSIVE

Famous Estonian chess grandmaster Paul Keres has been hardcovered. Four volumes. Four thousand pages. Eight kilograms.

Adams, Jimmy

"Paul Keres"

2024

https://mailchi.mp/newinchess.com/paul-keres-4-volume-set?e=c3c0e02253

As an Estonian chessplayer and an admirer of Paul Keres and his talent, I should be happy. But I am not.

The work is too expensive for me. The retail price is 250 euros, and even the pre-order price of 200 euros is too expensive.

I am also worried about the politicization of chess.

I have seen too many nasty tricks in the attempts to convince the publicity that now, finally, it has been scientifically proven and without reasonable doubt that the Soviet regime blocked Paul Keres from becoming the world champion. Up to outright forgeries.

And now, I have seen too much of how sports, including chess, have been heavily politicized, in the most biased manner, concerning the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war. I have also seen how, in Estonia, during that war, in a hurry, one more movie was made about Paul Keres and the Soviet regime.

Therefore, excuse me, but I will not pay 200 euros to check the quality and objectivity of the four volumes.

I am prepared to pay some money only if I know beforehand that it is not yet another work containing political propaganda and demagoguery.