Ukraine Beats Russia at World’s Top Sports Court

POLITICO Europe reports that Ukraine secured a major legal victory at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ordered the Russian Chess Federation to halt all chess activities in Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation. The article notes that Covington served as pro bono counsel supporting the Ukrainian side in the proceedings, which overturned a prior ruling that had imposed only a modest fine on Russia.

The decision requires Russia to cease organizing chess competitions in occupied regions — including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — within 90 days of the ruling or face suspension from global chess for three years. Ukrainian officials told POLITICO that the ruling establishes an important precedent in international sports law by affirming that sporting institutions cannot legitimize territorial occupation, with implications extending beyond chess to other international federations and disputes tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Covington team is led by Dave Pinsky and includes Paris Aboro and Alex Gudko.