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Dear chess friends, I am closely following the current situation in Cyprus and understand that it is becoming increasingly critical. With @humpy_koneru Humpy Koneru reportedly considering participation in the Candidates Tournament, it becomes even more important to ensure that all players can compete in a safe and stable environment. In this regard, FIDE has already been informed of our readiness to support and provide an immediate solution if required. Should it be necessary, we stand ready to act immediately. We can organize the Candidates Tournament in Germany, ensuring maximum safety and reliability for all participants and officials. Germany offers world-class infrastructure and security - conditions essential for an event of this importance. All organizational and logistical expenses would be fully covered by WR Chess, with our full commitment and responsibility. Our priority is clear: to protect the players, preserve the integrity of the competition, and ensure that the tournament can take place under the best possible conditions. @anishgiri @GMHikaru @FabianoCaruana @ChessbaseIndia @humpy_koneru @rpraggnachess @GMJSindarov @FIDE_chess

Dear chess friends, I am closely following the current situation in Cyprus and understand that it is becoming increasingly critical. With @humpy_koneru Humpy Koneru reportedly considering participation in the Candidates Tournament, it becomes even more important to ensure that all players can compete in a safe and stable environment. In this regard, FIDE has already been informed of our readiness to support and provide an immediate solution if required. Should it be necessary, we stand ready to act immediately. We can organize the Candidates Tournament in Germany, ensuring maximum safety and reliability for all participants and officials. Germany offers world-class infrastructure and security - conditions essential for an event of this importance. All organizational and logistical expenses would be fully covered by WR Chess, with our full commitment and responsibility. Our priority is clear: to protect the players, preserve the integrity of the competition, and ensure that the tournament can take place under the best possible conditions. @anishgiri @GMHikaru @FabianoCaruana @ChessbaseIndia @humpy_koneru @rpraggnachess @GMJSindarov @FIDE_chess

FIDE will need to find a new bank (again) due to its links with Russia. As I heard this week from different sources: •⁠ ⁠Employees have just received advance payments of several salaries, as FIDE is preparing for the likely scenario of having its accounts suspended. •⁠ ⁠Some players have reported not having received payments for prize money earned in recent events that are already due, a sign that FIDE’s transactions are already limited or under scrutiny. These are strong indications that the Spanish @caixabank, the only bank that accepted them as a customer in 2019 after Ilyumzhinov was included in the U.S. sanctions list, might have reconsidered this decision. And there are two clear reasons for that: Since FIDE has the majority of its staff in Russia (and the number of Russian employees has only increased since the start of the war), they have been using four different Russian banks to pay their salaries (as indicated in their last financial report, dated from 2024). One of them is Gazprombank, an entity subject to full blocking sanctions, and FIDE working with them is a clear breach of these sanctions. Besides, this is a very sensitive topic for CaixaBank right now, as they have recently received a €30 million fine from SEPBLAC (Spain’s financial intelligence unit and the main authority monitoring money laundering and sanctions compliance) for failing to apply proper due diligence to high-risk, non-resident clients and failing to file timely Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs). CaixaBank has also admitted to having an exposure of over €185 million from Russian citizens and Russian-related entities. So now, not only might the FIDE President be included in the EU sanctions list as soon as this April, but the links between this institution and Russian banks on the sanctions list turn FIDE into a problematic customer. No bank wants that liability. As we all know, it is not the first time that FIDE has faced such a situation. After its previous president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, was placed on the U.S. sanctions list in 2015, the Swiss bank UBS closed FIDE’s accounts, as banks apply strict compliance rules to institutions linked to sanctioned individuals. Even though Ilyumzhinov withdrew from all financial and legal operations of FIDE shortly after the sanctions were imposed, it proved extremely difficult for FIDE to find a new bank willing to accept them. FIDE was effectively a pariah in the banking system for a couple of years, causing an operational nightmare. CaixaBank was ultimately the only institution prepared to take that risk back then. But it seems they will not turn a blind eye anymore.

FIDE will need to find a new bank (again) due to its links with Russia. As I heard this week from different sources: •⁠ ⁠Employees have just received advance payments of several salaries, as FIDE is preparing for the likely scenario of having its accounts suspended. •⁠ ⁠Some players have reported not having received payments for prize money earned in recent events that are already due, a sign that FIDE’s transactions are already limited or under scrutiny. These are strong indications that the Spanish @caixabank, the only bank that accepted them as a customer in 2019 after Ilyumzhinov was included in the U.S. sanctions list, might have reconsidered this decision. And there are two clear reasons for that: Since FIDE has the majority of its staff in Russia (and the number of Russian employees has only increased since the start of the war), they have been using four different Russian banks to pay their salaries (as indicated in their last financial report, dated from 2024). One of them is Gazprombank, an entity subject to full blocking sanctions, and FIDE working with them is a clear breach of these sanctions. Besides, this is a very sensitive topic for CaixaBank right now, as they have recently received a €30 million fine from SEPBLAC (Spain’s financial intelligence unit and the main authority monitoring money laundering and sanctions compliance) for failing to apply proper due diligence to high-risk, non-resident clients and failing to file timely Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs). CaixaBank has also admitted to having an exposure of over €185 million from Russian citizens and Russian-related entities. So now, not only might the FIDE President be included in the EU sanctions list as soon as this April, but the links between this institution and Russian banks on the sanctions list turn FIDE into a problematic customer. No bank wants that liability. As we all know, it is not the first time that FIDE has faced such a situation. After its previous president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, was placed on the U.S. sanctions list in 2015, the Swiss bank UBS closed FIDE’s accounts, as banks apply strict compliance rules to institutions linked to sanctioned individuals. Even though Ilyumzhinov withdrew from all financial and legal operations of FIDE shortly after the sanctions were imposed, it proved extremely difficult for FIDE to find a new bank willing to accept them. FIDE was effectively a pariah in the banking system for a couple of years, causing an operational nightmare. CaixaBank was ultimately the only institution prepared to take that risk back then. But it seems they will not turn a blind eye anymore.

Who has the most appearances in the FIDE Women’s Candidates? ♟ It turns out that we have a three-way tie! Tan Zhongyi, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Kateryna Lagno have each played four times in the Candidates. In Cyprus, we will also see three rookies: Divya Deshmukh, Bibisara Assaubayeva, and Zhu Jiner. Who will prevail? 🤔 Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 edition: 🗓 Dates: March 28–April 16 🌍 Location: Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, Cyprus 🇨🇾 🎟 Book your tickets now: 🔗 tickets.fide.com #FIDECandidates #Cyprus #FIDE