Thursday, 27 February, it was announced that the American grandmaster Hans Niemann will take part in the jubilee festival Aeroflot Open 2025, which will be held in Moscow from February 28 to March 7.
"Niemann is the first really great player from the USA in recent years to take part in a competition in Russia, which is the jubilee tournament Aeroflot Open," Andrey Filatov, the President of the Chess Federation of Russia, told TASS. "The fact that he has come speaks for his sound judgement and that he does not mix sport and politics".
"At the same time, I cannot help but note the incredible influence of Donald Trump on the processes in the chess world. After his election to the US presidency, Russian chess players first gained access to the U18 tournaments, and now the participation of American grandmaster Niemann in the Aeroflot Open shows that there is and should be no isolation of Russia," the head of the Chess Federation of Russia highlighted.
Thus, 144 chess players out of 14 countries will take part in the main tournament of the Aeroflot Open 2025.
"Niemann is the first really great player from the USA in recent years to take part in a competition in Russia, which is the jubilee tournament Aeroflot Open," Andrey Filatov, the President of the Chess Federation of Russia, told TASS. "The fact that he has come speaks for his sound judgement and that he does not mix sport and politics".
"At the same time, I cannot help but note the incredible influence of Donald Trump on the processes in the chess world. After his election to the US presidency, Russian chess players first gained access to the U18 tournaments, and now the participation of American grandmaster Niemann in the Aeroflot Open shows that there is and should be no isolation of Russia," the head of the Chess Federation of Russia highlighted.
Thus, 144 chess players out of 14 countries will take part in the main tournament of the Aeroflot Open 2025.
Photo credit: Michal Walusza / FIDE