The country is being punished. Countries are made up of people. In all likelihood no Russian will be untouched by these sanctions. The secondary motivation is that other players might drop out in protest. Look at what just happened to the Paralympics. The plan from on high was to keep the Russian team. It looks like it was complaints from the other athletes complaining that reversed decision.

Once Putin is gone, if there actually is some revolution, everyone in Russia has learned to have the deepest, most passionate hate towards the west and their undifferentiated discrimination.

You are looking at removing Putin, who will, if democratically voted for, be replaced by someone even more extremist. Stop giving the working Russian people a reason to have the west. Give them hope, show them what life can be like, dont beat them down and scream at them.

Grischuk is a special personality who most of any chess enthusiast will know. This is like banning a Michael Jordan style personality - charismatic, charming, and a world class player on top. And he does this all in his own sort of unique deadpan style package. His demeanor and comments from the video in this thread are **EXTREMELY** out of character for him, emphasizing how much this is all clearly personally affecting him.

This is an absolutely stupid decision, and an injustice.

Two wrong don't make a right and two million wrongs most certainly don't.

The logic is simple.

If Ukrainians can’t play, then neither should Russians.

That is simple logic! So why are Russians being banned, considering Ukrainians can play in the tournament?

The ones who are able to travel while their country is invaded, yes.

Persecuting Russians who oppose the invasion, who fled Russia and went to the West because they don't want to be associated with the regime, is just plain stupid.

These people are actually your allies and a very valuable resource (intellectual, economic, political). Some of them risked their lives supporting opposition, cried for sanctions for years while your politicians benefitted from the regime's corruption and you did nothing. And now you're persecuting them like they're accomplices.

Karpov and Karjakin support Putin.

Sure, and Nepo, Grischuk, Svidler etc. don't. Norway Chess treats these two groups the same.

are they supposed to vet individuals with a twitter litmus test? That, in some sense, seems worse.

Some options:

1. Don't ban anyone.

2. Ban only players who have publicly supported Putin and the invasion of Ukraine (like Karjakin has).

3. Ban all Russian because they were born in the wrong country.

You're saying that 3 is better than 2, and I can't agree because in option 3 you're banning innocent people for reasons completely out of their control.

Maybe 3 can lead to important people changing nationalities. Which would be super embarrassing for Russia.