International Grandmaster Refused to Play in the Championship of Belarus

Uladzislau Kavaleu signed an open letter from athletes with demands to the authorities.

International grandmaster Uladzislau Kavaleu refused to play in the Belarusian championship and signed an open letter from athletes with demands to the authorities, tut.by reports with reference to the Free Association of Belarusian Athletes.

Kavaleu is the only Belarusian chess player to be included in the world's first hundred best grandmasters. He was supposed to take part in the national championship and even attended the draw, but he decided to abandon the tournament a few hours before the start.

The reason was that the RCOP for Chess and Drafts prepared an additional agreement to the contracts of athletes. The papers were handed out at the opening of the Belarusian championship. The document contained a ban on public speaking without the consent of the employer, as well as other restrictive clauses. Uladzislau Kavaleu considered this a violation of his constitutional rights, did not sign the agreement and refused to compete.

Together with Kavaleu, grandmaster Yauhen Padolchanka and international master Vital Merybanau refused to participate in the Higher League. They also signed an open letter from the athletes. The list of signatories also includes Andrei Zhyhalka, Siarhei Azarau, and one of the first to sign the letter was the chairman of the Belarusian Chess Federation, Anastasia Sarokina.

In total, this letter has been signed by more than 900 people from Belarusian sports.