World Chess Federation

Israeli players have been denied visas to participate in a speed chess championship hosted by Saudi Arabia this week, a vice president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) said on Dec. 24.

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) has confirmed a decision to suspend Bulgaria's international activity in chess, Dnevnik.bg has reported.

The announcement, made at the 87th FIDE Congress in Baku, upholds the vote of the European Chess Union to expel the Bulgarian body.

Veselin Topalov, the Bulgarian chess grandmaster, has moved eight spots down in the standard international ranking, showing his worst results since 2000.

As of April 2016, he is No 16 in the World Chess Federation (FIDE)'s Standard ratings.

The head of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, has temporarily transferred most of his powers to his deputy after being added to a U.S. sanctions list for alleged ties to the Syrian regime, the organization said on Dec. 6.