Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand has reversed his earlier choice to not search one other time period and can contest the election for the FIDE Deputy President’s submit.
IMAGE: Viswanathan Anand with the India’s males staff of Arjun Eigaisi, Dommaraju Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi who gained the Chess Olympiad. {Photograph}: Form courtesy FIDE/X
Key Factors
- Viswanathan Anand reverses earlier choice and can contest as FIDE Deputy President alongside Timur Turlov in September’s election.
- Arkady Dvorkovich’s withdrawal following European Union sanctions has reworked the FIDE presidential election right into a three-way contest.
- Three presidential tickets have been confirmed, that includes Jan Henric Buettner, Wadim Rosenstein and Timur Turlov as candidates.
- The FIDE Basic Meeting in Samarkand will elect the brand new management on September 26, with every member federation holding one vote.
The race for the presidency of the Worldwide Chess Federation or FIDE as it’s broadly recognized is now huge open with three groups getting into the fray after incumbent Arkady Dvorkovich determined to not search re-election following European Union sanctions in opposition to him.
Including a brand new dimension to the competition, former World Champion Viswanathan Anand has reversed his earlier choice to not search one other time period and can contest for the submit of FIDE Deputy President as a part of the staff led by Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
The FIDE presidential election can be a three-way contest involving businessmen from Germany and Kazakhstan who’ve invested closely in chess.
“The sphere is open now. Had FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich been within the fray, his staff would have the incumbent benefit,” Grandmaster and former FIDE deputy president Bachar Kouatly instructed this correspondent.
Based on Kouatly, the geopolitical scenario may affect voters.
Anand explains change of choice
In a social media submit, Anand defined the explanations for his revised choice.
‘Over the previous 4 years, it has been an honour to work at FIDE and contribute to the event of chess. I’ve labored with colleagues from grassroots programmes to elite competitions. Collectively, we’ve made vital progress in increasing alternatives for gamers, federations and organisers, whereas making chess extra accessible.
‘I’m happy with what we’ve achieved as a staff, however I additionally imagine there’s way more we are able to accomplish. That’s the reason I’ve accepted Timur Turlov’s invitation to proceed serving as FIDE Deputy President as a part of his staff.
‘I imagine Timur has the imaginative and prescient, vitality and experience to take care of the momentum we’ve constructed lately whereas opening new alternatives for chess. His expertise in main a publicly listed worldwide firm, his dedication to expertise and innovation, and his long-standing help for chess make him effectively positioned to information FIDE into its subsequent chapter.
‘By his management, I imagine FIDE can develop into much more digital, financially resilient and inclusive, whereas guaranteeing each area of the world has a stronger voice in shaping the way forward for our sport.
‘I look ahead to persevering with this journey collectively — for the good thing about gamers, federations and chess lovers all over the place.’
From Dvorkovich’s staff to Turlov’s
Earlier, Turlov had been introduced because the candidate for the deputy president’s submit as a part of incumbent FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich’s staff. Turlov is president of the Worldwide Faculty Chess Federation and founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.
Nevertheless, after the European Union included Dvorkovich in its latest sanctions checklist, he determined to step apart and droop the train of his powers as FIDE president with out resigning from the submit.
Consequently, Anand, who was elected deputy president as a part of Dvorkovich’s staff in 2022, turned FIDE’s Interim President.
The EU sanctions in opposition to Dvorkovich compelled a change within the election plans. Turlov determined to contest for the FIDE president’s submit, leaving the deputy president’s slot in his staff vacant.
With Dvorkovich out of the competition and Turlov now working for the highest submit, the duo might have persuaded Anand to return to the electoral fray.
Earlier than the EU sanctions in opposition to Dvorkovich, Anand had introduced he wouldn’t search re-election.
It was not recognized then if Anand had taken the choice on his personal or whether or not Dvorkovich had determined to have one other individual as his deputy in FIDE.
‘I’ll proceed supporting the marketing campaign and contributing my expertise to FIDE’s work, particularly in serving to rising and creating federations develop the sport,’ Anand had stated at the moment.
Three-way contest
On July 26, 2026, FIDE introduced that it had acquired three presidential tickets:
Jan Henric Buettner for President and Malcolm Pein for Deputy President;
Wadim Rosenstein for President and Gordon Tang for Deputy President;
Timur Turlov for President and Viswanathan Anand for Deputy President.
Curiously, two of the three presidential candidates — Buettner and Rosenstein — are German businessmen, and all three candidates have invested in chess and organised main tournaments.
Buettner organised the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Problem in 2024.
WR Chess, promoted by Rosenstein, has been organising tournaments in a number of components of the world.
WR Chess additionally helps kids all over the world and promotes rising expertise.
‘We see chess not solely as a sport, but in addition as a social device that builds bridges and strengthens communities,’ the organisation says.
Turlov’s rising presence in chess
Turlov, who was born and educated in Russia, turned an entrepreneur and based Freedom Finance in 2008. In 2011, he moved to Kazakhstan and established operations there.
After consolidating his corporations beneath Freedom Holding, Turlov listed the corporate on Nasdaq in america.
Corporations related to Turlov are estimated to have invested round $75 million in chess. In April this yr, Freedom Holding additionally introduced the acquisition of ChessBase, a well known chess platform.
The 2026 FIDE presidential Election will happen on September 26, 2026, in the course of the FIDE basic meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Every member federation represented on the basic meeting can be entitled to at least one vote.
Venkatachari Jagannathan will be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com
Function Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
