Polish Number 1 Refuses Handshake With Russian GM In World Rapid Championship

In video footage from the recently concluded 2023 World Rapid Championship held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Poland's number one GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda refused to shake hands with Russian GM Denis Khismatullin before their game in round one. 

The game ended in a draw. Khismatullin has not filed a complaint and wrote in a statement that he does not plan to do so. He also mentioned that he has been restricted from prize events and social activity on this website, which Chess.com confirms and explains at the bottom of this article. 

In the video below, Duda is seated behind the white pieces as Khismatullin arrives from behind him. The Russian grandmaster traditionally extends his hand before sitting down and Duda raises his palm to signal a refusal. Khismatullin then takes his seat.

Polish chess player Jan-Krzysztof Duda refused to shake hands with Russian Denis Khismatullin, who supports the invasion of Ukraine. This happened at the World Championship in Samarkand. It also became known that 104 Russian chess players changed their Russian "sports… pic.twitter.com/vLtIjHmmwM

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 3, 2024

• Khismatullin's Work And Demonstrations With Karjakin
• What's In A Handshake?
• Statements From Players And Chess.com

Khismatullin's Work And Demonstrations With Karjakin 

Khismatullin, along with 2016 World Championship Runner-up GM Sergey Karjakin, has expressed support for the war against Ukraine, but only the latter has been sanctioned by the International Chess Federation. Karjakin's pro-war statements led to a six-month ban, which effectively barred him from the 2022 FIDE Candidates, for which he qualified. Ever since, Karjakin hasn't played in chess tournaments outside of Russia.

Khismatullin visited the front lines with Karjakin and was photographed together with Russian soldiers. They also spoke at a rally in the video linked here, where Khismatullin concluded with: "Our cause is just and together we will win!"

With those activities in mind, Ukrainian GM and former coach of the national team Oleksandr Sulypa pointed out on X that Khismatullin's participation in the tournament violated Olympic laws:

Like many other Russian players, Khismatullin plays under the FIDE flag at tournaments, but his profile still presents Russia as his federation. This has been a workaround that has allowed Russian players to abide by FIDE's ban on Russian and Belarusian flags in tournaments while continuing to represent their country.

While Karjakin was banned for six months in 2022, Khismatullin has faced no consequences for also openly supporting the war in Ukraine. El Pais asked FIDE's chief legal director, Russian board member Aleksandr Martynov, why, and the response was:

FIDE does not have a procedure to verify the statements of players. In this area, we follow the decisions of our Ethics Commission [which sanctioned Karjakin in 2022 for violating its code]. It seems to us that the judicial procedure is the best mechanism for these matters. If any interested person appeals to that commission, and it disqualifies Grandmaster Khismatullin, that decision will be strictly respected.

FIDE does not have a procedure to verify the statements of players.

—Aleksandr Martynov

There were many other Russian players at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Uzbekistan, but most of the top players do not so openly praise Russia's war effort. Many have spoken against it, like Russia's number-one GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, who in 2022 signed an open letter to Vladimir Putin to end the war. Scores of others, like former Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, have left Russia and now play for other countries.

What's In A Handshake?

For chess players, the handshake is a big deal, and declining one can have international implications. The handshake is a mutual sign of respect before and after a game, and its refusal can be interpreted as an insult—to an individual, organization, or even a country.

The handshake, or lack thereof, is more than a gesture between two people. Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation Alexandr Tkachiev responded to matchtv.ru: "A poorly brought up young man, what more can I say. It’s a pity that the best chess player in Poland behaves like this."

It’s a pity that the best chess player in Poland behaves like this.

—Alexandr Tkachiev

But Duda's defiance also received praise on X as a bold and political statement against Russia's invasion that has now lasted nearly two years. Some were more strongly worded than others:

A relevant and recent case was that between Russian GM Mikhail Kobalia and Ukrainian-born and now Romanian GM Kirill Shevchenko. After Shevchenko refused to shake hands at the 2023 European Individual Chess Championship last March, an outraged Kobalia filed a complaint and launched a social media campaign to draw attention to the perceived affront.

The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission sanctioned Shevchenko to a warning but mentioned the following in its conclusion: 

9.8. The EDC Panel cautions that its present decision must not be seen as a precedent for the likely punishment to be imposed in respect of another player who makes himself guilty of the same violation in future as each instance of a guilty refusal to shake the opponent’s hand must be evaluated on the peculiar facts of each case.

In other words, the consequence will not be a warning every time. It will be judged on a case-by-case basis.

The same report also lists several other handshake incidents, with the highest-profile one being the penultimate: "Toiletgate." GMs Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov stopped shaking hands later, at Corus Steel 2007. 

An incident in 2008 also belongs on the list: GM Ivan Cheparinov was forfeited in his game after refusing to shake hands with GM Nigel Short. 

Perhaps the only statement stronger than not shaking hands is to protest the game itself. In recent years, for example, Iranian chess players have forfeited their games rather than play against Israeli opponents. In last year's edition of the same championships, Israeli GM Boris Gelfand accrued three free points with his Iranian opponents not making a single move. This year, there were no Israeli players in Uzbekistan.

Statements From Players And Chess.com

Former World Champion and Russian GM Anatoly Karpov speculated to Sports Express that Duda did not act of his own volition and was pushed by his sponsors. Duda’s manager Adam Dzwonkowski, on the other hand, told wp.pl earlier:

Jan-Krzysztof Duda isn’t planning to comment on his behavior because his goal wasn’t to make a demonstration. He simply did what he believed in his conscience to be right and consistent with his convictions. The fact that it was recorded was a pure coincidence, because he was playing on the third board and there were cameras.

He simply did what he believed in his conscience to be right and consistent with his convictions.

—Adam Dzwonkowski

On January 4, Khismatullin provided a lengthy post for Karjakin's Telegram account. He began with, "In the first days of the year I unexpectedly woke up famous," and explained: "As for my opinion on Duda’s decision not to shake hands before the start of our game, of course I don’t agree with it, but I respect his right to act in that manner, expressing disagreement with my position and with my activity off the chessboard."

I respect his right to act in that manner, expressing disagreement with my position and with my activity off the chessboard.

—Khismatullin

If he plays Duda again in the future, he wrote that he would extend his hand again, and he asked the media "not to hype up and politicize this situation, not to insult the Polish grandmaster, and definitely not to insult the Polish nation as a whole."

He also mentioned an email from Chess.com informing him that he was forbidden from tournaments and social activity on the website. The Russian media group RBC inquired about Khismatullin's closure and Chess.com replied:

We can confirm that GM Khismatullin has been restricted from prize events and social activity on Chess.com. This is consistent with our policies and prior actions regarding players who support the war. In fact, the Russian government has banned the entire Chess.com platform apparently due to our stance against the war.

The Russian government continues to wage a needless war of aggression that has claimed the lives of countless combatants and civilians, including women and children. Our own Ukrainian staff and loved ones are deeply affected as are many throughout the world outside. Our opposition to this war has not wavered.

We hope for peace and an end to this war that has divided those of us who have long been united by our love of a peaceful and elegant game.