ECU sanctions Bulgarian chess over licensing dispute

The European Chess Union (ECU) Monday informed Bulgaria's Youth and Sports Ministry that, starting June 1, 2026, it will impose a package of sanctions on Bulgarian players because no procedure has been launched for issuing a national licence for the sport of chess.

Under the decision, only players representing Bulgarian clubs affiliated exclusively with the Bulgarian Sports Chess Federation will be eligible to compete in European championships across all age groups – from children to men and women, as well as veterans, CE Report quotes BTA.

The ECU said the sanctions were introduced because the previous deadline for launching a new licensing procedure, December 31, 2025, was not met. If no changes occur by June 1, the Union warned that additional sanctions may follow.

The dispute surrounding Bulgarian chess has persisted for several years due to divisions within the chess community. The Bulgarian Sports Chess Federation, headed by Grandmaster Milen Vasilev, is recognized as a member of both the ECU (accepted as a provisional member on January 21, 2024) and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) but does not hold a national licence to govern the sport in Bulgaria. Such a licence has instead been granted to Bulgarian Chess Federation 2022, headed by former MP Vasil Antonov. This licence was initially issued by the team of former caretaker Youth and Sports Minister Vesela Lecheva team and later reaffirmed by the administration of former Youth and Sports Minister Ivan Peshev. The former Bulgarian Chess Federation was expelled from the ECU on September 10, 2016.

As there is no universally recognized governing body, Bulgarian players have been left without state financial support and face uncertainty over entry in international competitions. The conflict has escalated into a power struggle affecting top players, including cases where prominent competitors have missed major events due to the unresolved split.