Kazakhstan Chess Federation President Timur Turlov has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
According to İdman.Biz, the 38-year-old businessman revealed his decision on his Instagram page. The news was also confirmed by leading chess outlet ChessBase, which reported that 15th World Champion Viswanathan Anand will run alongside Turlov as his candidate for FIDE Deputy President.
Turlov had originally been expected to seek the position of Deputy President as part of Arkady Dvorkovich's ticket. However, the situation changed after the current FIDE president was included in the European Union's 21st sanctions package.
Dvorkovich described the sanctions as unlawful and said he would challenge them in court, but stepped aside from his duties to ensure the restrictions would not interfere with the federation's work. Anand assumed the role of acting president, and Dvorkovich later confirmed he would not seek re-election in September, saying his candidacy could pose significant risks to the organization.
Explaining his decision to run, Turlov said world chess has attracted millions of new players in recent years, especially children and young people, while digital technologies have made the game more accessible. At the same time, professional tournaments have become increasingly attractive to audiences and commercial partners. In his view, FIDE has reached a decisive moment and must accelerate its development.
"I believe this process should be intensified, new energy should be brought into the development of chess, and we should continue moving forward," Turlov said.
The candidate intends to focus on his managerial and investment experience, digital transformation, the use of artificial intelligence, increasing the commercial appeal of chess and expanding international cooperation. He noted that Freedom Holding, the company he founded, operates in 22 countries, serves more than 14 million clients and employs over 11,000 people. According to Turlov, he has invested more than $75 million in chess over the past several years.
Turlov has served as president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation since 2023 and has headed the International School Chess Federation since 2024. During his tenure, Kazakhstan hosted a World Championship match, while Freedom Holding sponsored major international events, including the World Rapid and Blitz Championships.
As previously announced, Anand will be Turlov's running mate. The Kazakh chess official described it as a great honor to campaign alongside the legendary Indian grandmaster, saying they share the same vision for the future of world chess.
Turlov's candidacy effectively preserves the continuity of Dvorkovich's team, although he now assumes the leading role. Given the limited time before the nomination deadline, it appears highly unlikely that he will radically reshape his team. That makes it entirely possible that Azerbaijan Chess Federation President Mahir Mammadov will remain part of the ticket. Mammadov has served as a FIDE Vice President since 2022 and was also a member of Dvorkovich's planned team for the upcoming election.
It is therefore reasonable to assume that Turlov is interested in retaining the experienced Azerbaijani chess official in his leadership bloc, either as a candidate for one of the elected vice-presidential positions or among the vice presidents appointed by the future FIDE president after the election.
Under FIDE regulations, only joint nominations for president and deputy president must be submitted by July 26. Nominations for the four elected vice presidents will remain open until August 26, while the new FIDE president will appoint three additional vice presidents after the election.
Besides Turlov, former FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, German businessman and Freestyle Chess co-founder Jan Henric Buettner, who is running together with Malcolm Pein, and WR Chess founder Vadim Rosenstein have also announced their intention to contest the presidency.
Ilyumzhinov, who led FIDE from 1995 to 2018, has pledged to campaign for chess to be included in the Olympic Games programme and to bring Magnus Carlsen back into the World Championship cycle. The Norwegian has previously declined to compete for the classical world title, citing a lack of motivation.
The final list of registered candidates is expected to be published on July 28 after verification by the FIDE Election Commission. The elections for FIDE President and Deputy President will take place on September 26 during the organization's General Assembly in Samarkand.
