"I don't want to perform": two-time world champion renounces Russian national team

Russia's best chess player, Yan Nepomnyashchy, does not want to play for the aggressor country's national team because of his relationship with the Russian Federation. At the same time, the two-time winner of the World Team Championship, who signed an anti-war petition condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has no intention of changing his sports citizenship.

Nepomnyashchy, who recently lost to China's Ding Lizhen in a match for the chess crown, said this in an interview with Championat.com. The 33-year-old native of Bryansk also criticised the Russian Federation's management for the organisation's move to Asia, calling it a banal advertising ploy.

"I don't want to change my sports citizenship. I don't want to change my citizenship in general. At the same time, I don't really want to play for the national team in my current relationship with the federation. And as for changing the region to Asia, I think it's 80 per cent a PR ploy, and it's led to a disastrous result: players are moving to European federations. Both superstars like Sasha Kosteniuk and young talents are leaving. It is very sad. And it's very unpleasant to read official comments from the federation representatives, saying, "Ha-ha, but it's not a loss," Nepolmnyashchy said.

It should be noted that Nepomnyashchyy was the subject of a denunciation written against him by Ukraine's traitor and former world rapid chess champion Serhiy Karyakin. The native of Simferopol, who took Russian citizenship in 2016, was disqualified for six months for supporting the war in Ukraine.

The chess player admired how "Russia is fighting nobly, not killing civilians". In addition, the traitor to Ukraine invented a new goal for Russia in the war.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Russian fans called Serhiy Karyakin vile after he became the first deputy head of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation's commission on physical culture, sports and healthy lifestyle.

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