Ukrainian chess grandmaster Ivanchuk not allowed traveling for World Cup in Baku - FIDE

MOSCOW. July 24 (Interfax) - Ukrainian chess grandmaster Vasily Ivanchuk has received a wild card from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to participate in the FIDE World Cup, which will start in Baku on July 29, but has not been allowed to leave the country, Ukrainian media reported citing the FIDE statement on social media last Saturday.

"Vasily Ivanchuk resides in Lvov, Ukraine. According to current legislation, he needs permission from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to leave the country for sports purposes as he is under the age of 60 (he is currently 54 years old). Such permission was not granted. The official request from the organizers of the World Cup, the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, was also declined," the Federation said.

In this regard, a number of the world's leading grandmasters signed an open letter to Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Vadim Gutzeit. "We are asking the chess community to support this motion by sharing the letter and hope that more Grandmasters will voice their support for GM Ivanchuk," FIDE said in the statement.