Vice-President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation Mahir Mammadov presented Singaporean grandmaster Tin Jingyao with the Svetozar Gligoric Trophy.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the ceremony took place in Samarkand on the final day of the 46th World Chess Olympiad. Tin was among the recipients of the 2026 Svetozar Gligoric Trophy, awarded by FIDE for acts that exemplify fair play, respect for opponents and sportsmanship.
Tin received the award for an unusual incident that occurred at the Almaty Region Open – Qonaev Cup in Kazakhstan in 2025.
In the sixth round, his opponent, Kazakhstan's Azamat Utegaliyev, arrived late for their game because of severe traffic congestion. By the time he reached the venue, the waiting period stipulated by the tournament regulations had expired, meaning Tin was entitled to claim a win without even playing the game.
However, the Singaporean grandmaster chose not to take advantage of the situation and agreed to play the game.
Tin, playing with the black pieces, eventually defeated Utegaliyev over the board. The victory took him to four points after six rounds, and he went on to finish ninth in the tournament with six points.
The award was presented by Mammadov, who was re-elected as FIDE vice-president in Samarkand. The Azerbaijani chess official also chairs the special FIDE commission responsible for selecting the recipients of the Svetozar Gligoric Trophy. Renowned grandmasters Judit Polgar and Eugenio Torre are also members of the commission.
The Svetozar Gligoric Trophy was established by FIDE in 2019 and named after the legendary Yugoslav grandmaster, who was regarded as one of the world's strongest chess players in the 1950s and 1960s and was known for his respectful attitude towards his opponents.
The award recognises outstanding acts of sportsmanship, the promotion of fair play, support for ethical values, integrity and high standards of conduct in chess.
The first recipient of the Svetozar Gligoric Trophy was 16th world champion Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian was recognised following an incident involving Ding Liren at the online Chessable Masters. After the Chinese grandmaster lost a game because of internet connection problems, Carlsen deliberately gave up his queen and resigned after just four moves in their next encounter, effectively restoring equality in the match.
