Dmitry Bulanov is 32 years old. He is from Brest and has been involved in chess his entire life. He currently ranks 28th among all Belarusian players and holds the FIDE Master title.
In 2020, Dmitry and his colleagues created the "Free Chess Players of Belarus" group and began competing under the white-red-white flag. Together with his team, which includes some of the strongest Belarusian chess players, they won the Chess Bundesliga twice.
In July 2023, Dmitry was detained by the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK). He is accused of participating in protests, registering with the "Peramoga" plan, and sending extremist materials (though security officials often force people to incriminate themselves on camera). He was released after three days in a temporary detention facility on his own recognizance.
Released in November 2025 .
