Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted chess grandmaster Sergey Karjakin a state award after he was suspended by the discipline’s international governing body for supporting Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Putin granted him a medal “For Merit to the Fatherland”, a distinction for Russians who have made outstanding contributions in their fields, according to Reuters.
Karjakin, who challenged Magnus Carlsen for the world title in 2016, is a Putin supporter and defended Russia’s decision to send troops into Ukraine on social media.
This prompted the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to suspend him for six months for breaching its code of ethics in March, something the Crimea-born player described as shameful.
BBC