Russian chess player Nikita Vitiugov changed sports citizenship to English
Russian chess player Nikita Vitiugov changed sports citizenship. This was reported on the website of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
The grandmaster will play under the flag of England. The 36-year-old chess player, who is the 2010 world champion with the Russian team, is ranked 25th in the FIDE rating. He was part of the team of Jan Nepomniachtchi in preparation for the 2023 World Championship match.
Earlier in August, the Russian grandmaster Sanan Syugirov replaced the national team. The grandmaster will represent Hungary at the competition. In July, two more Russian chess players announced the change of sports citizenship – Anton Demchenko and Vladimir Fedoseev. They will play for Slovenia.
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
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
