13th World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov has been removed for 2 years from any activity related to the World Chess Federation (FIDE) for corruption, Lenta.ru reports, citing the organization’s official website.

Former FIDE Secretary General Ignatius Leong got a similar disqualification.

Investigation conducted by FIDE revealed that before the presidential elections in the federation last year, Kasparov - who was among the candidates – and then FIDE Secretary General Leong made an agreement. According to it, Kasparov paid Leong $500,000  for votes from the Federation’s Asian region in the elections of FIDE President. Consequently, Kasparov lost the elections, Kirslan Illyumzhinov being reelected in that office. 

On September 8, Director of FIDE representative office in Russia Berik Balgabaev said that the U.S. law enforcement authorities had grounds for the criminal prosecution of Kasparov, who lives in the U.S. Earlier that day FIDE official website disseminated information that Kasparov and Leong were found guilty in violating the organization’s Code of Ethics.