Karpov said Alekseenko’s transfer to Austria could be a loss for Russian chess
Honorary President of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) Anatoly Karpov praised the decision of the Russian grandmaster Kirill Alekseenko to join the Austrian team. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
“I think his transition could be a loss for Russian chess, because he is a good chess player,” the specialist said.
Karpov also said that he did not understand why the grandmaster decided to play under the Austrian flag. “Austria is not the best country he could go to. In a chess sense, they are weak. He will participate in international tournaments, but the country itself is weak in chess,” he explained.
The fact that Alekseenko changed citizenship became known earlier on July 9. He is currently ranked 63rd by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
FIDE allowed Russian and Belarusian chess players to compete in international competitions under a neutral flag until January 1, 2024. After this period, athletes will be returned the right to compete under the flag of their country, unless another decision is made before that.
Source: Lenta
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