Chess pro banned for five years after sexually harassing young players

Andrejs Strebkovs, a Latvian International Master, has been banned for five years from competitive chess by FIDE for sexually harassing young players.

The organization’s August 12 disciplinary action statement said that after two investigations, it found Strebkovs violated the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Code. The player is no longer allowed to play in any FIDE event as a player or to be “physically present” at these events globally, for five years.

The EDC investigations unearthed that the Latvian master “engaged in a disturbing pattern of harassment over the past decade against female chess players.”

“Dozens of female players, some as young as 14, received obscene letters containing [inappropriate] material and [items], sent to their homes, clubs, universities, and tournament venues,” the statement said.

The investigation traced the letters back to Strebkovs through DNA analysis, according to the disciplinary decision.

“FIDE will not tolerate any form of harassment or abuse within the chess community, especially in the cases where minors are involved,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.

The scandal, however, has been in the air for a while as The Telegraph and the Russian news site Meduza reported on the letters back in 2022. The report said some of the players who received letters were top Russian competitors.

FIDE responded to the allegations at the time, saying it reported the letters to Latvian police.

Strebkovs was investigated by Latvian authorities, but they “concluded that the actions did not constitute a criminal offense under Latvian law,” according to FIDE.

This sentence for Strebkovs has the community once again coming after FIDE for its decision-making around its female members compared to their male peers. FIDE and its top leadership have been called out in the past for sexist rules and rulings towards women chess competitors.