Nigel Short’s resignation as FIDE Vice President

There are a few days to go for the presidential elections for the international chess federation (FIDE). Grandmaster Nigel Short has resigned from his post of vice-president. The resignation could be related to the imposition of a three-month suspended ban from acting as FIDE official. Imposed by the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission, said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. 

“Nigel’s decision is open and sincere, perhaps even a little emotional and related to the decision of EDC (Ethics and Disciplinary Commission), but I believe that Nigel will continue his mission and agree with my proposal to find the right format for our joint work for the benefit of chess,” Dvorkovich said.

“The respondent, Mr Nigel Short, is sanctioned with a 3-month ban from acting as a FIDE official, which ban is wholly suspended for a probationary period of two years on condition that Mr Short does not commit a breach of Article 11.6(a), (b) or (c) of the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Code (2022) within the probationary period,” the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission held.

What is FIDE?

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of chess. Subsequently it regulates all international chess competitions. Constituted as a non-governmental institution, it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999.

FIDE currently has its headquarters in Lausanne, but it was initially founded in 1924 in Paris under the motto “Gens una Sumus” (Latin for “We are one Family”). It was one of the very first International Sports Federations. Alongside the governing bodies of the sports of Football, Cricket, Swimming, and Auto Racing. It is now one of the largest, encompassing 199 countries as affiliate members, in the form of National Chess Federations. Chess is nowadays a truly global sport. It has dozens of millions of players in all the continents, and more than 60 million games on average played every day.