Vishy Anand Changes His Mind, Will Contest FIDE Poll

Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand has reversed his earlier decision not to seek another term and will contest the election for the FIDE Deputy President's post.

The race for the presidency of the International Chess Federation or FIDE as it is widely known is now wide open with three teams entering the fray after incumbent Arkady Dvorkovich decided not to seek re-election following European Union sanctions against him.

Adding a new dimension to the contest, former World Champion Viswanathan Anand has reversed his earlier decision not to seek another term and will contest for the post of FIDE Deputy President as part of the team led by Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.

The FIDE presidential election will be a three-way contest involving businessmen from Germany and Kazakhstan who have invested heavily in chess.

"The field is open now. Had FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich been in the fray, his team would have the incumbent advantage," Grandmaster and former FIDE deputy president Bachar Kouatly told this correspondent.

According to Kouatly, the geopolitical situation could influence voters.

Anand explains change of decision

In a social media post, Anand explained the reasons for his revised decision.

'Over the past four years, it has been an honour to work at FIDE and contribute to the development of chess. I have worked with colleagues from grassroots programmes to elite competitions. Together, we have made significant progress in expanding opportunities for players, federations and organisers, while making chess more accessible.

'I am proud of what we have achieved as a team, but I also believe there is much more we can accomplish. That is why I have accepted Timur Turlov's invitation to continue serving as FIDE Deputy President as part of his team.

'I believe Timur has the vision, energy and expertise to maintain the momentum we have built in recent years while opening new opportunities for chess. His experience in leading a publicly listed international company, his commitment to technology and innovation, and his long-standing support for chess make him well positioned to guide FIDE into its next chapter.

'Through his leadership, I believe FIDE can become even more digital, financially resilient and inclusive, while ensuring every region of the world has a stronger voice in shaping the future of our game.

'I look forward to continuing this journey together -- for the benefit of players, federations and chess lovers everywhere.'

From Dvorkovich's team to Turlov's

Earlier, Turlov had been announced as the candidate for the deputy president's post as part of incumbent FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich's team. Turlov is president of the International School Chess Federation and founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.

However, after the European Union included Dvorkovich in its recent sanctions list, he decided to step aside and suspend the exercise of his powers as FIDE president without resigning from the post.

As a result, Anand, who was elected deputy president as part of Dvorkovich's team in 2022, became FIDE's Interim President.

The EU sanctions against Dvorkovich forced a change in the election plans. Turlov decided to contest for the FIDE president's post, leaving the deputy president's slot in his team vacant.

With Dvorkovich out of the contest and Turlov now running for the top post, the duo may have persuaded Anand to return to the electoral fray.

Before the EU sanctions against Dvorkovich, Anand had announced he would not seek re-election.

It was not known then if Anand had taken the decision on his own or whether Dvorkovich had decided to have another person as his deputy in FIDE.

'I will continue supporting the campaign and contributing my experience to FIDE's work, especially in helping emerging and developing federations grow the game,' Anand had said at that time.

Three-way contest

On July 26, 2026, FIDE announced that it had received 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 major tournaments.

Buettner organised the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge in 2024.

WR Chess, promoted by Rosenstein, has been organising tournaments in several parts of the world.

WR Chess also supports children around the world and promotes emerging talent.

'We see chess not only as a game, but also as a social tool that builds bridges and strengthens communities,' the organisation says.

Turlov's growing presence in chess

Turlov, who was born and educated in Russia, became an entrepreneur and founded Freedom Finance in 2008. In 2011, he moved to Kazakhstan and established operations there.

After consolidating his companies under Freedom Holding, Turlov listed the company on Nasdaq in the United States.

Companies associated with Turlov are estimated to have invested around $75 million in chess. In April this year, Freedom Holding also announced the acquisition of ChessBase, a well-known chess platform.

The 2026 FIDE presidential Election will take place on September 26, 2026, during the FIDE general assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Each member federation represented at the general assembly will be entitled to one vote.

Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff