Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, has been elected as the new head of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The election took place on September 26 in Samarkand during the organization's General Assembly, held as part of the 46th World Chess Olympiad.
In the second round, Turlov received 110 votes, while his rival, German businessman Vadim Rosenstein, garnered 85 votes. In the first round, 96 delegates voted for Turlov and 76 for Rosenstein; another German candidate, Jan Henrik Buettner, received 20 votes and was eliminated. A total of 196 delegates voted in the first round, with four ballots declared invalid.
WR Chess founder Vadim Rosenstein had put forward his candidacy in tandem with Singaporean businessman Gordon Tang. His campaign team also included Otabek Umarov, First Deputy Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan. Alongside Turlov, 15th World Champion Viswanathan Anand was elected as FIDE Vice President as part of the same team. Initially, Turlov and Anand ran as a single team.
The 38-year-old Turlov has become the second youngest president elected in the federation's history. He has led the Kazakhstan Chess Federation since 2023. Turlov is also the founder and CEO of the international financial group Freedom Holding Corp. and heads the International School Chess Federation.
As FIDE President, Turlov replaces Arkady Dvorkovich, who had led the organization since 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. During Dvorkovich's second term, Anand served as his deputy. In July, Dvorkovich was added to the European Union's sanctions list and voluntarily suspended his powers. He called the EU's decision "illegal and unjust" and expressed his intention to appeal, but explained his departure from the post by saying that sanctions could hinder FIDE's stable operations. Following this, Anand served as acting president.
Ultimately, Dvorkovich did not participate in the 2026 election. Turlov had previously been part of his team, but after Dvorkovich withdrew his candidacy, Turlov formed his own presidential ticket together with Anand.
Source: www.gazeta.uz