Zelensky's right-hand man fights Russian chess moves

Adviser wants to block Moscow’s return to international fold

- ASKOLD KRUSHELNYCKY

For months, Oleksandr Kamyshin led Ukraine’s push to increase its production of drones, one of its most important weapons in the fight against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

Used to strike Moscow’s forces across Ukraine – and into Russia – Mr Kamyshin, 40, was at the forefront of upping the supply of drones in his role as minister for strategic industries and so strengthening Kyiv’s arsenal.

Now, as the president of Ukraine’s chess federation, he faces a different battleground – trying to stop Moscow lift its ban from the world chess community, while also advising Volodymyr Zelensky.

After Moscow’s forces barrelled into Ukraine in February 2022, Russia and its ally, Belarus, were ejected from many international organisations including Fide, the International Chess Federation, the body governing and promoting the game and overseeing the most prestigious competitions.

Although Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to compete in events organised by Fide, the anthems of their countries are not played and they must use the Fide flag instead of their respective nations’ banners. That has been a humiliating setback for Russia, which has always prided itself on its prominent role in the world of chess. Now Moscow plans to regain membership of the body at its general assembly conference in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Sunday The former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, regarded by Ukraine as a pawn of Mr Putin, initiated Moscow’s comeback gambit by placing a motion to lift all sanctions against Russia on the conference agenda.