This is what chess grandmaster Anna Muzychuk says about her refusal to take part in the rapid and blitz world championship in Saudi Arabia: We still have the freedom to think and act as we want!

Anna Muzychuk: In a few days I will lose two world championship titles in a row. Because I have decided not to travel to Saudi Arabia. I refuse to play according to special rules, to wear the abaya, to have a man accompany me so that I can leave the hotel, so that I don't feel like a second-class citizen.

I will follow my principles and not take part in the rapid and blitz world championship, where I could have earned more money in just five days than in dozens of other tournaments combined. This is all very unpleasant, but the sad thing is that no one seems to care. Bitter feelings, but I'm not going back.

Anna Muzychuk's success story

Anna Muzychuk became a Women's International Master (WIM) in 2002 and a Women's Grandmaster (WGM) in 2004. She was awarded the title of International Master (IM) in 2007, having fulfilled the required standards at the 2006 Women's Chess Olympiad in Turin and at the 2007 Serbian Women's Team Championship.

She played at the top board of the Slovenian women's national team at the Chess Olympiads from 2004 to 2012, as well as at the four European Team Championships from 2005 to 2011. In 2011 she achieved the best individual result at the top board.

At the 2014 Chess Olympiad she played at the top board of the Ukrainian women's team and reached third place with them, and at the 2015 European Women's Team Championship she reached second place with Ukraine.

She also took part in the women's competitions at the 2016 and 2018 Chess Olympiads, the 2017 European Team Championship and the 2019 World Team Championship with Ukraine. She and the team came second at the 2018 Chess Olympiad, third at the 2016 Chess Olympiad and the 2017 European Team Championship, and achieved the best result on the top board at the 2016 Olympiad and the second-best result at the 2017 European Team Championship.

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