ACP Board condemns the decision of FIDE to stage the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Saudi Arabia. This kind of event can not and should not take place in a country that does not guarantee an entry to the representatives of all the federations, and has gender and religion discriminatory laws. That clearly contradicts the FIDE's own Status (1.2)
In addition to that, FIDE hides the fact that the agreement to stage the Championships in Saudi Arabia is for the span of three years - and this makes the things even worse. Such an important decision has been yet again made in the most non-transparent way, without a proper discussion.
Chess world deserves better, and we feel that selling all the principles and violating written and moral rules, as FIDE constantly does recently, seriously harms the image of our game and will have a negative long-term consequences.
ACP Board