Chess-Kazakh Turlov elected FIDE president with Russia, governance issues in focus
- On Saturday, Kazakh businessman Timur Turlov was elected the eighth president of world chess governing body FIDE at the General Assembly in Samarkand, defeating German entrepreneurs Wadim Rosenstein and Jan Henric Buettner.
- Outgoing president Arkady Dvorkovich withdrew his reelection bid this year after his inclusion in a European Union sanctions package, prompting Turlov to launch an independent campaign alongside Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.
- Defeating Rosenstein 110 votes to 85, Turlov secured the presidency in a second-round runoff after the opening round saw 192 valid votes cast from 202 eligible member federations.
- Addressing concerns regarding his ties to Freedom Holding Corp, FIDE's principal commercial partner, Turlov pledged that "strong FIDE must mean strong national federations and more opportunities for people to discover and play chess."
- The new administration will uphold Court of Arbitration for Sport rulings barring Russian teams while appointing a Ukrainian official as vice-president, balancing efforts to manage Russia-related tensions within the federation.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Timur Turlov from Kazakhstan became the new president of the International chess Federation (FIDE).
Kazakh Turlov named as FIDE president
ASTANA: Kazakh businessman Timur Turlov was elected as the eighth president of world chess governing body FIDE on Saturday after a closely fought contest at the organization’s General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, . The election was widely seen as a defining vote for FIDE amid debates over governance, Russia’s place in international chess and the sport’s commercial future. Of FIDE’s 204 member federations, 202 were eligible to vote wi…
Two Germans had competed against the Kazakh Timur Turlov – and remained hopeless. The billionaire is now the new strong man in the chess world.
In parallel with the Chess Olympiad, the FIDE Congress and General Assembly will also be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan this weekend. In the presidential elections held on Saturday, Timur Turlov, who was born in Russia but has held Kazakh citizenship since 2022, was elected as the new president of FIDE.
EADaily, 26 September 2026. The head of the international chess federation (FIDE) was elected under Ukrainian sanctions as Russian-Kazakh businessman Timur Tourlov, reports Reuters.
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