FIDE revokes Grandmaster title of Romania’s Kirill Shevchenko in mobile phone cheating case: ‘Fair play non-negotiable’

Romanian Grandmaster Kirill Shevchenko had been handed a three-year worldwide ban by FIDE with one year suspended after he was caught cheating while competing at the Spanish Team Championship in October 2024. And on Saturday, the 22-year-old had his Grandmaster title revoked by the Lausanne-based world governing body.

Shevchenko had been handed a three-year suspension for hiding a mobile phone in the toilet at the venue and using it during his games, which also resulted in his prompt expulsion from the tournament with his draws in the first two rounds of the tournament also turning into defeats.

The three-year ban came into effect on 19 October last year and is in place till 18 October, 2026, with the next one year suspended “contingent on the absence of further misconduct”. Shevchenko will remain banned from all FIDE-related events during this period.

FIDE confirmed their decision to revoke Shevchenko’s Grandmaster title, which the Ukrainian-born player had earned in 2017, in their final decision on his cheating case that was published on Friday by the governing body’s Ethics & Disciplinary Commission (EDC).

“FIDE takes cheating cases among top players with the utmost seriousness. We are working hard on both prevention and swift, appropriate sanctions. Ensuring fair play is non-negotiable – it is essential to the credibility and future of our sport,” said Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, in response to the final ruling on the matter.

FIDE rejects Shevchenko’s appeal against ban while delivering final verdict

Shevchenko, once ranked 75th in the world, had lodged an appeal against the ban while FIDE’s Fair Play Commission lodged a cross-appeal after expressing dissatisfaction with certain findings made by the governing body’s Ethics & Disciplinary Commission (EDC) First Instance Chamber.

It was the First Instance Chamber, chaired by David Hater together with Olga Baskakova and Alan Borda which had banned him last year after finding him guilty of breaching Article 11.7(e) of the FIDE Disciplinary Code.

And after considering all the arguments, the FIDE Appeal Chamber unanimously found Shevchenko’s appeal to have failed with his guilt confirmed while FPL’s cross-appeal had succeeded, resulting in a change in the first-instance decision.