MOSCOW, April 8, Oleg Bogatov. Ukrainians Anna and Maria Muzychuk are great chess players and always adhere to the sporting principle, the sisters’ decision not to sign a letter on the removal of Russians from international tournaments is correct, said Russian grandmaster Sergei Karyakin. Anna and Maria Muzychuk will be expelled from the Lviv Regional Chess Federation for refusing to sign an open letter calling for the removal of Russians and Belarusians from sponsored by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Chess players of the region appealed to the President of the Chess Federation of Ukraine Viktor Kapustin with a request to demand that FIDE remove all grandmasters and officials from Russia and Belarus because of the events in Ukraine. They also demanded the resignation of the head of FIDE, Russian Arkady Dvorkovich. «I think that Maria and Anna Muzychuk are excellent athletes and great chess players,» said Karjakin. «I've known them since childhood, but it's clear that now we are on opposite sides of the barricades But in general, I respect them very much as chess players and I am sure that for them sports principles are not an empty phrase and they are used to winning over the board. Therefore, I will say that their decision did not surprise me much and I think that it is correct.»
