The point here is the concept of Sportswashing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing When he plays profession

The point here is the concept of Sportswashing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing When he plays professional chess, Grischuk _is_ representing Russia, he's not just an individual. A win for him is a win for Russia, and the chess commentators constantly say things like "I'm excited for the Hungary vs Russia final" and "looks like Russia will come out on top in this game".