The chess teams of Russia and Belarus are to remain banned from international competitions, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) ruled on Sept. 22. Both countries were excluded from the federation in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. FIDE barred Russian and Belarusian flags from its events, but allowed players from Russia and Belarus to participate under the neutral FIDE flag. During a meeting of the FIDE general assembly in Budapest on Sept. 22, 66 countries voted to support a last-minute proposal to consult the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to…