Ukrainian chess player Kateryna Lagno has left her national team in favor of Russia's, the Russian Chess Federation announced on Saturday.
Lagno, 24, won two European chess championships under the Ukrainian flag and is the 2014 women's world champion in fast chess. She is currently ranked by the World Chess Federation's as the seventh-best female chess player in the world.
According to the Russian Chess Federation, Lagno applied to represent Russia in March amid objections from the Ukrainian side. The World Chess Federation examined her request and ultimately approved the transfer.
The Chess Federation of Ukraine received a 20,000 euro ($27,000) compensation from its Russian counterpart for Lagno's transfer.
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