Evgeny Alexeev News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

More than 200 Russian athletes have turned their backs on their homeland and left the country following Russia's attack on Ukraine. 150 of them are chess players. The Russian Chess Federation now wants to retain its talent through long-term financial support. In the summer, it signed a ten-year contract with Andrey Esipenko (pictured). | Photo: Niki Riga

Apart from Kirill Alexeenko (to Austria) and Nikita Vitiugov (to England), the FIDE transfer list shows several other prominent Russian grandmasters who have left their federation after Russia invaded Ukraine. Evgeny Alekseev now plays for Israel and Sanan Sjugirov is the new number one in Hungary.