The Ethics and Disciplinary Commission of the International Chess Federation banned Latvian chess player Andrey Strebkov from FIDE-sponsored competitions for 5 years for years of harassing women by mail.
Publika.az reports that conclusive evidence has been found that dozens of female chess players, some as young as 14 years old, received lewd letters from Strebkov containing pornographic material and used condoms and sent them to their homes, clubs, universities and tournament venues over a 10-year period.
In addition, Strebkov has made offensive statements about women on various Internet platforms for many years.
“FIDE will not tolerate any form of harassment or violence in the chess community, especially involving minors. We want to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all players, male or female. We welcome the decision of the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission, which clearly states that such behavior is unacceptable,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
Strebkov was banned from participating in any competitions organized by FIDE for 5 years. In addition, he is prohibited from participating in ranking tournaments held under the auspices of FIDE.
Although a criminal case was opened against the chess player in Latvia, it was determined that Strebkov’s actions did not constitute a crime under local law.
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