English chess has a new No 1 – a Russian grandmaster who opposes President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Nikita Vitiugov, 36, is the latest in a growing list of elite Russian chess players who have switched allegiances as a result of their anti-war stance.
As the current world No 25, and the Russian champion in 2021, he also represents the greatest loss since the invasion for Russian chess.
English chess officials are only too delighted to have a grandmaster of Vitiugov’s talents both representing the country at the elite level and coaching new talent at a time when chess is enjoying a surge of popularity.
“Welcome on board,” the English Chess Federation tweeted after Vitiugov’s transfer to England was officially confirmed by the international chess