FIDE's Response to Armenia's Triple Champion Being Disqualified from Tournament in Turkey

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has responded to the incident involving Maria Gevorgyan, a member of the Armenian women’s national chess team, being removed from the list of participants in a Turkish tournament at the request of Azerbaijanis.

In a conversation with a reporter from NEWS.am Sport, triple champion Maria Gevorgyan stated, “The incident regarding my participation in the Turkish tournament has already received widespread attention and caused significant turmoil in the global chess community, as well as in Armenia. I have already informed that the Armenian Chess Federation addressed FIDE in writing to investigate the case. We have now received a response from FIDE representative Emil Sutovsky.”

“FIDE has taken action on the matter. The incident is being thoroughly investigated. Soon, those responsible will face the strictest penalties,” reads Emil Sutovsky's response.

It is important to note that just days after sending an invitation for participation to Armenia’s reigning champion Maria Gevorgyan for the Sivas Buruciye Chess Open 2019 tournament scheduled for August 18 in Turkey, the event's organizer, Turkish Mustafa Eroglu, requested her withdrawal at the behest of the Azerbaijanis. Consequently, the Turkish organizer also declined to cover the participation costs for the Armenian representative.

Maria Gevorgyan has met with Mikayel Hayrapetyan, the chairman of the Standing Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Diaspora, Sports, and Youth Affairs of the National Assembly, who has sent a letter to FIDE demanding justifications for the removal of the Armenian chess player from the tournament.

The incident has also been covered by numerous international media outlets, including the BBC Russian Service.