US Chess Releases List Of Sanctioned Players

The US Chess Federation has published a list of members who have been sanctioned by the organization. 

A total of 27 members have been sanctioned for a shorter or longer time period. Minors are not named, but their sanction is listed.

Among the more known players listed, is GM Alejandro Ramirez, who had his membership permanently revoked in March after eight women accused him of sexual assault. The Costa Rican-American grandmaster has worked as a coach for the U.S. women’s team during the Chess Olympiad and as a commentator for Saint Louis Chess Club, but resigned after former U.S. Women’s Champion WGM Jennifer Shahade accused him publicly of sexual assault.

Another notable name is Uzbek-born GM Timur Gareyev, known as the “Blindfold King,” who is banned from competing, coaching at, appearing at, or visiting the site of any US Chess National event until June 2024 for violations of Safe Play Guidelines.

US Chess sanctioned members for violations related to the Code of Ethics, Safe Play policies, Tournament Director Certification requirements, Rules of Chess, FIDE Events, and obligations of State Chapters and Affiliates.

The organization has also previously released a list of sanctioned members, but the practice ended more than 10 years ago. US Chess said that the Executive Board again decided to release the list for the sake of transparency in a decision that was reached via an 8-0 vote.

In a statement provided to Chess.com, US Chess says:

We are continuously evolving our policies to promote a safe and transparent environment for chess players. For privacy reasons, we cannot disclose specific violations. However, the categories we evaluate as part of this process include the Code of Ethics, Safe Play policies, Tournament Director Certification requirements, Rules of Chess, FIDE Events, and obligations of State Chapters and Affiliates.

A total of seven members had their membership permanently suspended. The list also includes tournament arbiters and directors who had their certification suspended due to ethics violations.

FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commitee updates a similar list with decisions since 2014.