Chess world condemns FIDE decision

Dvorkovich/Sutovsky to step down this week?

How could FIDE get this so wrong? This morning I spent the first hour pouring thru hundreds of FaceBook and Twitter pages of leading members of the world’s chess community and the verdict is overwhelming: almost universal condemnation for FIDE’s decision yesterday to award both Russia and India the gold medal.

Dvorkovich and Sutovsky to step down?

There is a sort of poll over on Alexi Shirov’s FB page that strongly favours some resignations amongst FIDE’s leadership. This past weekend has demonstrated the utter incompetence, lack of moral fiber and shocking hypocrisy of Dvorkovich’s FIDE. 

Just the makeup of the Appeals Committee should be the subject of investigation. How can any self respecting sports federation put their own (Russian) President on a 3-person Appeals Committee?

And , accepting that for a moment, why did FIDE not get a replacement when it was clear the day before that any appeal involving the Russian team would call into question the objectivity and impartiality of the Appeals Committee? Let alone letting this Russian ultimately make the deciding vote?

Truly mind-boggling…complete moral FAILURE. Thousands of chess players around the world share my feelings of shame. We, as a sport, will be the deserving subject of sarcasm for a long time to come…