Our Journey so far
10-23 September 2024
Olympiad Fair Play Controversy
2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest. A number of players are forfeited for possession of vapes and sim cards. One forfeit is overturned on appeal. The FIDE President personally intervenes to prevent further issues. Nevertheless, Fair Play is significantly criticised at the General Assembly, and Andy Howie defends Fair Play in an interview with ChessBase India. In the last round, Fair Play insists an arbiter remove their sunglasses as the item is banned.
October - November 2024
Arbiters Begin Draft Letter
A number of arbiters who were dissatisfied with Fair Play at the Olympiad begin informal discussions. The Fair Play Commission defend their actions and systems. We discover that objections had been raised to FIDE management in the past, but nothing had happened. This results in the draft of a letter, which they are prepared to sign. Efforts to increase the number of signatures begin. The letter sets out our belief that a separate team, and a separate title system is unnecessary and damaging, and the job should be that of arbiters.
26-31 December 2024
Fair Play Targets Arbiters
2024 World Rapid & Blitz in New York. Fair Play undertakes to scan arbiters to check them for devices, which the Chief Arbiter resists. Fair Play become aware of the draft letter.
5 January 2025
President Briefed on Letter
The FIDE President is made aware of the draft letter, and resolves to take some action. This action is restricted to asking the Arbiters Commission to prepare training for fair play personnel to act like arbiters, thus creating two systems teaching similar material. We discuss this with people on the Arbiters Commission, and realise it is unsatisfactory.
24 January 2025
Arbiters Commission Shows Disinterest
Alex Holowczak speaks to the Chairman of the Arbiters Commission, who shows no interest in the topic and wider dispute.
21 February 2025
Letter of The 26 Submitted
Realising that no progress is being made, an edited version of the letter is formally submitted to all members of the FIDE Management Board. The letter is signed by 26 arbiters, hereafter referred to as "The 26". Read full letter here.
25 February 2025
Team Captains Protest in Prague
A team captain writes to the FIDE President complaining about the Fair Play measures at the World Senior Team Championship in Prague. This evolves into a protest letter sigend by the majority of team captains present at the tournament.
3 March 2025
Management Board Opens Discussion
For the first time, a full discussion of the issues surrounding Fair Play are discussed at the FIDE Management Board.
14-15 March 2025
Fair Play Chair Dismissed
The Fair Play Commission have an in-person meeting in Riga. The Chairman of the Commission is removed from post while he is travelling to the meeting. The Secretary resigned shortly beforehand. Andy Howie is appointed the new Chairman.
3 April 2025
Media Highlights Growing Discontent
A summary of the situation is published by Malcolm Pein in CHESS magazine, which is reproduced on Chessdom. "This is largely due to the laissez-faire attitude of those in the upper echelons of the governing body, including the President and Managing Director." Read full article here.
7 April 2025
Joint Statement Offers Little
The Arbiters Commission and Fair Play Commission publish a joint statement (see text here). It contains three "changes", which the Fair Play Commission admit on 28 May were already the Commission's official apology anyway. The 26 responds with their own statement to the President and Management Board the next day (see text here).
13 April 2025
Arbiters Commission Backs Fair Play
Ivan Syrovy, having met with the FIDE President, publishes a statement to his Commission supporting the Fair Play Commission and opposing the wishes of the signatories.
17 April 2025
Arbiters Form Coordination Group
In light of FIDE official organs ignoring us in meetings of 7 April and 13 April, the 26 formally establishes a WhatsApp group, with the aim of expanding our number of signatories to its letter. A slightly revised letter is prepared, and it begins arranging for other people to sign it. These conversations happen privately.
22 April 2025
Syrovy Rejects Arbiters’ Concerns
Ivan Syrovy holds a meeting of the Arbiters Commission. Some signatories are present at the meeting, and say that Ivan was not very interested in hearing opposing points of view. It is mentioned that the 26 had risen to more than 90. When asked, Ivan said that this doesn't matter. He rejects the idea that as Chairman of the Arbiters Commission, it is his job to be the voice of arbiters.
23 April 2025
Fair Play Learns of Signatures
Andy Howie becomes aware of the list of signatures, which had grown to more than 130 at that point.
24 April 2025
Meeting with Rules Commission
The Fair Play Commission meets with the Rules Commission.
25 April 2025
Controversial FPL Presentation Posted
FPL Member Kaussar Bauyrzhan publishes a presentation on the Fair Play Commission website setting out why Fair Play titles are necessary. This is shared widely on social media, and is met with significant critical opposition in arbiter discussion groups. The presentation includes the idea that "the computer does the work", suggesting the skill of arbiters is not of the same level. The Rules Commission Chairman reported that "This is not what FPL said to us yesterday." The presentation is edited a couple of weeks later, after objections are raised.
President Calls for Joint Meeting
The FIDE President can ignore things no longer - he contacts Marco Biagioli to arrange a meeting between some of The 26, the Management Board, the Arbiters Commission and the Fair Play Commission. The number of signatories is now more than 150.
28 April 2025
Unproductive Meeting with Syrovy
Ivan Syrovy meets some people representing The 26. He did not listen to our views, only writing down things that he thought would contribute positively to the Fair Play title system, ignoring the fact that we objected to it.
10 May 2025
Public Petition Launched Worldwide
After the unsatisfactory meeting with Ivan, the number of signatories had grown to 170 and it is decided to launch the public petition. It is shared by most members of The 26 on social media, and another 100 people outside the sphere of arbiters sign it within 24 hours.
13 May 2025
Arbiters Commission Remains Unmoved
The Arbiters Commission held another meeting. Ivan expressed his support for the Fair Play Commission, and showed no willingness to engage with The 26. He did state that the majority of the Green Panel agreed with the letter, which we knew from the list of signatories.
Disappointing Meeting with President
The meeting with the FIDE President is disappointing and ineffective. It lasts for 90 minutes, of which the President speaks for the first 20. Speakers from The 26 are interrupted and not allowed to put their points across. The 26 receive no follow up from this meeting. As a result, we start to work on our own proposals.
19 May 2025
Proposal Shared Across Commissions
The proposal is distributed to various Commissions for comment (read full proposal here). Various members of relevant Commissions support the proposal. Ivan Syrovy is invited to share the proposal with the Arbiters Commission, but he refuses. We therefore email it to all members ourselves, and a number of members write back to us privately to say that they support it.
28 May 2025
Fair Play Dismisses Proposal
Alex Holowczak meets the Chairman and Secretary of the Fair Play Commission, to present the proposal. They are not interested, and do not circulate it to their Commission.
30 May 2025
Proposal Added to Council Agenda
The proposal is submitted by Alex Holowczak and the Rules Commission. The FIDE President resolves to put it on the agenda of the next Council meeting.
16 August 2025
Council Meeting Backs Arbiters
The Council meeting discusses the proposal and the issue more widely. The Arbiters, Rules and Fair Play Commission are in attendance. There is overwhelming support for our position, rather than that of the Fair Play Commission.
29 April 2025
1 May 2025
Preparation for Presidential Meeting
The 26 receives a list of discussion points for our meeting with the FIDE President, which we discuss and send back.
20 July 2025
FPL Statement Condemns Arbiters
The Fair Play Commission's deposition to the FIDE Council Meeting is published in an online discussion group. It includes a number of statements condemning arbiters. It is hastily removed from the FIDE website. The English Chess Federation's Chief Executive Officer becomes aware of the statement and discusses it with Andy Howie. He writes that the statement was "cleaned up prior to submission" by others in his Commission. Read full statement here. The 26 later responded to this statment - read here.
6 September 2025
Andy Howie Suspended by CS
A Blitz tournament is held in Glasgow, and an incident occurs which ultimately results in Andy Howie being suspended by Chess Scotland pending investigation by their Standards Committee.
1 October 2025
Website Established for Transparency
Discussions surrounding the document have occurred, but repeated requests to see the proposal have been ignored by the FIDE President. The Fair Play Commission has continued to go about its business, such as organising Seminars. It was resolved to set up this website.
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