Dvorkovich faces endgame after EU agrees new Russia war sanctions - BBC News

Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister, now faces an EU travel ban and asset freeze.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Arkady Dvorkovich has overseen the chess federation during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the game

The world of chess has been thrown into turmoil after the president of the International Chess Federation (Fide), Arkady Dvorkovich, said he was stepping aside because he was included on the European Union's latest sanctions list.

Dvorkovich, 54, a former deputy prime minister of Russia and adviser to the Kremlin, now faces an EU travel ban and asset freeze.

The EU said his inclusion was due to "publicly supporting the annexation of Crimea and calling occupied Ukrainian cities 'new territories' of the Russian Federation".

In a statement, Dvorkovich said he had decided to "voluntarily suspend the exercise of my powers and duties", external, but told the BBC he had not resigned.