Kirill Shevchenko, once ranked 75th, has been banned by FIDE from participating in FIDE-rated tournaments for three years. The three-year ban has already been effective from 19th October 2024. His Grandmaster title has also been revoked after he was found guilty of cheating during the Spanish Team Championship in October 2024.

The ruling issued by FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission was made after Shevchenko admitted to hiding a phone in the bathroom during the tournament, making him the highest-ranked Grandmaster to receive such a ban.

The 22-year Grandmaster was immediately expelled from the tournament after a cleaning staff member found the found in the bathroom, and he conveyed to the tournament authorities that he found a similar phone on the previous day in the bathroom.