The match between Polish grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Russian Denis Khismatullin at the World Rapid Chess Championship in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) started with a scandal: the Pole refused to greet his opponent with the traditional handshake. This episode caused heated debate among representatives of the sports community. So, the famous Czech hockey player Dominik Hasek, who, among other things, played for Moscow Spartak, but demonstrated an uncompromising anti-Russian position, supported the Pole.
“Right gesture. But let’s be honest, this is not a solution,” Hasek wrote on social networks.
In response, former world championship contender Russian grandmaster and head of the Moscow Region Chess Federation (MSF) Sergei Karyakin criticized Duda. He emphasized that he had been working with Khismatullin for many years and to whom he owed many successes, and at the same time called on the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to punish the post.
“Now a completely unprovoked incident has occurred between Russian grandmaster Denis Khismatullin and his Polish rival Jan Krzysztof Duda.
Moreover, I will emphasize that it does not even occur to you that a normal athlete may not shake hands.
Denis Khismatullin wanted to greet his opponent, as is done before every match, but he refused. This is not normal. Regardless of political opinion, it should be respected. And in general, to be honest, I believe that FIDE should react to such situations and that those who do not want to shake hands should be punished, that is, receive a warning or defeat in the game,” Karjakin said in an interview. “Match TV”.
The chess player expressed his sadness about what happened. He reminded that sports should unite people and that all political conflicts should be put aside in such moments. Speaking about Duda, Karjakin noted that this action remained on the conscience of the Pole.
“Denis is my coach, with whom we have been training together for many years, we have achieved many successes thanks to our joint work. And I’m glad he supports my position. We went to our soldiers together and provided humanitarian aid together. It’s great that your coach not only supports you in chess, but also that you have the same views on life in general. This is cool. What people like Duda, who we can probably call gentlemen, do is up to their conscience. “The most important thing is that our conscience is clear,” the grandmaster concluded.
Vice President of the Russian Federation Sergei Smagin, in an interview with socialbites.ca, expressed the opinion that Duda acted this way precisely because Khismatullin was friends and cooperated with Karyakin, who actively supported Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
“This is not the first case, FIDE has already dealt with the fact that Ukrainians stopped shaking hands with Russians. There was some sort of regulation at the time, I think it had to do with the fact that anyone who didn’t want to shake hands with their opponent had to notify the referee in advance.
It’s a stupid story. Moreover, as I understand it, Duda refused to shake hands for completely different reasons than Ukrainian athletes, since Khismatullin helped and supported Sergei Karyakin.
But just for Duda, there are thousands of men who respect professional ethics and try not to associate politics with their colleagues. This is his personal choice.
To be honest, I’m surprised that this story is given so much attention, because similar things have happened often before. FIDE needs to make it clearer that sanctions will be applied if someone refuses to shake their opponent’s hand. In general, all the minor incidents that are happening now in chess are due to the lack of professional rules.
It is time for FIDE to establish more professional relations with the strongest chess players. For example, as in tennis: you said something wrong – fine, you did something wrong – fine. This is more effective than reading morals and reasoning; It will quickly clear everyone’s mind and there will be no questions left. I can say with certainty that the most effective remedy for chess players is a fine. All questions will disappear instantly. If you don’t like it, go play another game. This is the only way to restore order,” Smagin said.
The match between Duda and Khismatullin ended in a draw. The Russian player did not appeal to FIDE because his opponent refused to shake hands.