The champion who fled Ukraine was disqualified by FIDE for fraud

The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has disqualified the famous Ukrainian grandmaster Kyrylo Shevchenko. The 22-year-old Kyiv resident, who decided to play for Romania last year, is accused of fraud. The suspension will be in effect until the end of 2024.

Shevchenko was caught up in a high-profile scandal at the Spanish team chess championship, which took place in Melilla from October 12 to 18. His results in the first two rounds (a draw and a win) were canceled.

Suspicions arose in the second round due to Shevchenko's frequent absence from the board, after which a locked phone was found in the toilet. The judges were able to prove that the device belonged to the ex-Ukrainian.

Shevchenko became a grandmaster at the age of 14 years and 9 months. His main achievements include winning the 2021 European Chess Team Championship as a member of the Ukrainian national team, as well as an individual victory at the Lindores Abbey blitz tournament in Riga the same year, where he outplayed such grandmasters as Fabiano Caruana and Arjun Erigaisi. As of October 15, he was ranked 69th in the world rankings.

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