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

KRAMNIK SUES FIDE FOR DEFAMATION

A quotation from the article “Vladimir Kramnik Sues FIDE for Defamation after Daniel Naroditsky Controversy” (India Today, 1 January 2026):

"Czech Grandmaster David Navara has also claimed to have felt distressed and suicidal due to Kramnik's online cheating charge against him."

"Kramnik has consistently defended his conduct, maintaining that his statements are substantiated."

- Implicitly, it is said that Kramnik made a statement that Navara was cheating, and that Kramnik asserts that this statement is substantiated.

And that is a lie and a form of defamation.

I have read Kramnik's statements and watched his videos.

Kramnik has NOT accused Navara of cheating.

From the article “Kramnik Takes FIDE to Swiss Civil Court - Bypassing Sport's Usual Arbitration System” (Worldchess News, 30 December 2025), which presumably represents the position of FIDE:

"[Kramnik] ... now faces accusations that his own allegations against others crossed ethical and legal lines."

- The article implies that Kramnik has made several accusations and only accusations.

Instead, most of Kramnik's "accusations" are carefully formulated suspicions or questions.

In such cases, he clearly states that he does not accuse but merely demands investigations of statistically abnormal playing results and demands explanations.

Thus, when writing about the current defamation lawsuit, the slandering continues and even amplifies.

Typically, Kramnik's precise and clear formulations are almost never quoted.

The written text of Kramnik's critics simply does not correspond to what Kramnik actually said.

And I am talking about it not because of Kramnik.

I am talking about it because of the principle that important statements must be reported correctly. 

LACK OF TIME AND THE WINNING MOVE

In a short rapid game Eintalu - Juhasz, there was tactical fireworks and mistakes on both sides. 

In the end, I accepted a draw offer because I was running out of time and couldn't find an effective winning move.

Can you find it?

White to move

Below is an analysis of the game.

FIDE FAULTY VOTING SYSTEM

I am afraid that FIDE and ICCF have a mistaken voting system. Their press releases often do not specify how many deputies participated in the vote. 

Their demagoguery is to say "majority" instead of "majority of those who participated". 

Or they declare that "P percentage voted for the decision" instead of "P percentage of those who participated voted for the decision". 

It also leads to contradictions too easily. 

Already, when FIDE sanctioned Russia in 2022, public propaganda gave the impression that the majority of FIDE member states demanded the sanctions. I am afraid that, instead, it was the majority of those who voted. In any case, it seems that the percentage of those countries that supported the sanctions was much lower than the impression made by press releases. 

Suppose that Y is the number of those who vote "Yes", N is the number of those who vote "No", and A is the number of those who are neutral, abstain or are missing. We assume that A > 0, as is usually the case. Then, obviously, 

Y/(Y + N) > Y/(Y + N + A) 

That is the basics of probability calculus and the calculus of percentages. 

FIDE and ICCF public reports of their voting results are not transparent, making political demagoguery too easy. 

I suggest that reports and relevant news include: 

1. The number of FIDE member states. 
2. The minimum number of YES-votes required to accept a decision (the quota). 
3. The number of those who were ABSENT. 
4. The numbers of YES, NO, and NEUTRAL. 

My present essay is motivated by the fact that, recently, FIDE voted on whether to annul the sanctions imposed on Russia. According to FIDE's own press releases, it managed to adapt at once two parallel decisions that conflicted with each other. See, for example: 

"Chess World Left In Limbo As FIDE's Russia Vote Ends In Chaos And Confusion",

Worldchess, 14 December 2025 

Quotations: 

"When it came to the vote, Russia's controversial motion passed by 61 in favour, to 51 against." 

"A second motion proposed by the FIDE Council also passed by 69 votes to 40." 

Note that there are around 200 member federations of FIDE, and: 

61 + 51 = 112 < 200 

69 + 40 = 109 < 200 

Note also that 200/2 = 100, and: 

61 < 100 

69 < 100 

That is, no decision was taken with an absolute majority. 

Now, let us take a look at FIDE's official statement:

"FIDE General Assembly decisions regarding Russia and Belarus", 
Fide News, 14 December 2025

Quotation: 

"In a procedural outcome, reflecting the diversity of views within the chess community, the General Assembly voted to adopt both the resolution proposed by the Chess Federation of Russia (61 votes in favour, 51 against, 14 abstentions and 15 delegates not voting) and the resolution proposed by the FIDE Council (69 votes in favour, 40 against, 15 abstentions and 17 delegates not voting)." 

However, the total number of member states is still missing, as 

61 + 51 + 14 + 15 = 141 < 200 

69 + 40 + 15 + 17 = 141 < 200 

I criticised the demagoguery and illogicality of FIDE's voting and its interpretations already on 24 September 2024. 

Terminology

FIDE - International Chess Federation

ICCF - International Correspondence Chess Federation