Grandmaster banned for cheating; Title revoked

Kirill Shevchenko’s grandmaster title was revoked by FIDE along with a three-year ban from all FIDE-rated events. He is touted to be the strongest player yet, to have his title revoked.
Kirill Shevchenko
Kirill ShevchenkoThe Bridge Chronicle
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The world of professional chess has been rocked by a major scandal, as FIDE, the sport's global governing body, has revoked the grandmaster title of former world No. 75, Kirill Shevchenko. He has also been handed a three-year ban from all FIDE-rated events, with one year suspended pending no further misconduct. This makes Shevchenko the strongest grandmaster to be banned for cheating in a tournament. The ban will run from October 19, 2024, to October 18, 2026, with the suspended portion in effect until October 18, 2027.

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The disciplinary action stems from an incident at the Spanish Team Championship held in October 2024. Arbiters began investigating after two grandmasters, Francisco Vallejo Pons and Bassem Amin, complained that Shevchenko was spending an unusually long time away from the board. The investigation led to the discovery of a mobile phone in a private restroom, with a handwritten note saying, "Do not touch! The phone is left for a guest to answer at night." Tournament officials later learned that a cleaning staff member had found another phone in the same bathroom the day before.

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When confronted, the 22-year-old Shevchenko confessed to hiding a phone in the toilet. While he initially denied using the device to cheat with a chess engine, a later communication to FIDE revealed that he had confessed to using the Lichess app on the phone. This evidence was a key factor in FIDE's final ruling.

The decision from FIDE's Ethics and Disciplinary Commission (EDC) came after a series of appeals. An initial ruling on March 15, 2025, imposed a three-year ban but did not revoke his grandmaster title. However, both Shevchenko and FIDE's Fair Play Commission (FPL) appealed the decision, leading to the Appeal Chamber strengthening the sanctions to include the revocation of his title.

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Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, emphasized the organization's firm stance on cheating. "FIDE takes cheating cases among top players with the utmost seriousness. We are working hard on both prevention and swift, appropriate sanctions. Ensuring fair play is non-negotiable, it is essential to the credibility and future of our sport," she stated.

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