Russian chess has suffered one other blow as their former nationwide staff coach GM Alexander Motylev has switched federations and joined Romania. The previous nationwide and European champion joins a rising record of Russian grandmasters who now not signify their native nation.

Motylev’s switch was made official by the Romanian Chess Federation final week after affirmation on FIDE’s web site.

GM Alexander Motylev is the brand new technical director of our nationwide groups. He’ll work with @GMSokolovIvan and Gergely Szabo to arrange the 2 groups.
Additionally, Alexander Motylev is on Romania’s ELO record as of right now.

Welcome, Alexander!

📸: Sophie Triay pic.twitter.com/eUsb7xNjIe

— Romanian Chess Federation (@FrsahRo) June 14, 2023

Motylev is the fourth prime grandmaster to affix Romania within the final yr. Ukrainian teen GM Kirill Shevchenko moved to Bucuresti earlier this yr, whereas Romanian veteran GM Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu confirmed his switch again from Germany in April. Final yr GM Richard Rapport grew to become the brand new Romania no. 1 as he accomplished his change from Hungary. Shortly after, Dutch veteran GM Ivan Sokolov was employed as the primary coach for the nationwide staff.

For Russian chess, the lack of Motylev is one other blow because the grandmaster has been a key determine of the nationwide staff for greater than 20 years. He grew to become the Russian champion in 2001 and was ranked among the many world’s top-25 gamers in 2005 with a peak ranking of 2710. In 2014 he scored a significant profession triumph by profitable the European Championship with 9/11.

Lately the 44-year-old has been extra centered on teaching for the Russian nationwide groups. He was additionally part of GM Sergey Karjakin‘s staff of seconds for his 2016 World Chess Championship match in opposition to Magnus Carlsen.

Motylev, amongst 44 Russian grandmasters who signed the anti-war assertion in protest of the invasion of Ukraine, has informed Chess.com that he moved to Serbia alongside along with his household final summer season as a result of battle.

Motylev stated: “From one aspect the choice was not that tough since all relations had the identical opinion about what we should always do. Nonetheless, deciding to maneuver wasn’t simple as a result of we did not have any connections in Serbia. And we have been going to start out a totally new life, so it was a leap of religion in that means. It’s now nearly a yr since we settled in Novi Unhappy, so the toughest a part of the emigration is already previously.

“I had a couple of gives and I selected Romania, primarily as a result of I like the passion and constructive angle of the people who find themselves working within the Romanian Chess Federation and within the ‘Superbet’ firm. Now I am working in Bucharest and sharing my time between Bucharest and Novi Unhappy,” he added.

Motylev’s switch comes simply months after GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, one of many strongest girl gamers in historical past, switched to Switzerland. Because the Russian invasion of Ukraine, grandmasters equivalent to Dmitry Andreikin, Vladimir Fedoseev, Alexander Predke, Kirill Alekseenko, Alexey Sarana, Nikita Vitiugov, and Evgeny Romanov have left their house nation. Amongst them, Predke and Sarana (Serbia) in addition to Romanov (Norway) have modified federations, whereas the others now play below the FIDE flag.

In February FIDE waived switch charges for Russian gamers wishing to modify and signify a European chess federation instantly with none restrictions or switch charges. The choice was made shortly earlier than the Chess Federation of Russia switched to affix the Asian Chess Federation.