Key Points
- Viswanathan Anand will not seek re-election for the third time for the post of Deputy President of FIDE.
- Anand will continue to play an important role in FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich's team.
- Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, will run alongside Dvorkovich as candidate for FIDE Deputy President.
Five-time World chess champion and Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand will not seek re-election for a third term as Deputy President of FIDE -- the International Chess Association.
Anand will continue to play an important role in FIDE President and former Russian deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich's team.
Dvorkovich is seeking re-election for a third time.
This time, Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, president of the International School Chess Federation and founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp, will run alongside Dvorkovich as the candidate for FIDE Deputy President.
Turlov has been a major supporter of chess development, with a particular focus on youth, education and digital modernisation of federation services.
Under Turlov's leadership, Kazakhstan has become one of the world's fastest-growing chess nations, expanding school chess programmes, hosting major international events and investing in young players.
'The results we have achieved in Kazakhstan have convinced me of a simple truth: A practical, modern and digital approach to chess development works and it can be scaled globally,' Turlov said.
'I am honoured to run alongside Arkady Dvorkovich and help bring that same focus on digitalisation, efficiency and direct support to national federations across FIDE.'
It is not known whether Anand decided to stand down on his own or Dvorkovich decided to have a different 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 said.
The presidential election will take place at the FIDE General Assembly during the 46th Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan in September 2026.
Dvorkovich Eyes Third Term As FIDE President
Dvorkovich has been elected twice to the position of FIDE President -- in Batumi, Georgia (2018) and Chennai (2022).
Since becoming FIDE President, Dvorkovich has overseen a period of significant expansion in international chess. This includes record global audiences, a rise in the number of online and in-person tournaments, bigger prizes and more women's events, increased participation, more funding, new commercial partnerships and wider support for national federations and development programmes.
Dvorkovich's priorities for the next term will include simplifying services for national federations, reducing bureaucracy inside FIDE, expanding digital tools, providing more direct support to federations, investing in youth and grassroots programmes, improving financial stability and growing chess in regions with major development potential, including Africa, Asia and Latin America.
/>In the coming weeks, Dvorkovich and his team will present a detailed programme outlining their priorities for the next four years, developed through consultations with national federations and other key stakeholders across the global chess community.
