Smagin called the recommendation to Ukrainians not to shake hands with Russians complete nonsense
The Russian Chess Federation (RFC) appreciated the handshake between Ukrainian Yuri Kuzubov and Russian Vladislav Artemyev. The commentary by the vice-president of the organization, Sergei Smagin, was reported by TASS.
Smagin called the recommendation to Ukrainians not to shake hands with Russians complete nonsense. “People should always remain people. It is not clear to me why Kuzubov should not have shaken Artemyev’s hand, especially if they did not have any personal conflicts,” he said and noted that Kuzubov has no bias towards the Russians.
Kuzubov and Artemyev shook hands before and after the game in the seventh round of the Grand Swiss. At the same time, the Ukrainian Chess Federation previously prohibited its athletes from shaking hands and taking photographs with players from Russia and Belarus at international tournaments.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has 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 given back the right to compete under the flag of their country unless a different decision is made before then.
Source: Lenta
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