Sergey Karjakin, who was banned for publicly backing Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, is unlikely to take part in the World Cup after his social media followers urged him not to participate without the Russian flag or anthem.
World No. 11 Karjakin missed last year's Candidates Tournament after the the sport's international federation handed him a six-month suspension for breaching its code of ethics.
Karjakin has only played competitively in Russia since his ban expired.