Timur Turlov Bids To Become FIDE President, Vishy Anand As Deputy

Moscow-born Kazakh billionaire Timur Turlov has put himself forward as a candidate to become FIDE president, with GM Viswanathan Anand as his deputy. Turlov was planning to run for deputy president under Arkady Dvorkovich, but the European Union’s sanctions on the current FIDE president have made that ticket impossible. Turlov joins Wadim Rosenstein, Jan Henric Buettner, and former FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in announcing bids to run the international chess federation. 

Since Dvorkovich was sanctioned yesterday by the EU for “supporting actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, or stability or security in Ukraine,” events have moved fast. Dvorkovich announced he had “decided to voluntarily suspend the exercise of [his] powers and duties as FIDE President with immediate effect” and passed his role to his deputy.

Anand accepted, saying his focus will be on “ensuring continuity and serving the global chess family.”

Following the decision by President Arkady Dvorkovich to suspend the exercise of his duties, and in accordance with the FIDE Charter, I have assumed the responsibilities of Interim President.

I want to thank Arkady for his leadership and for putting the interests and stability…

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) July 24, 2026

Anand had been expected to step back from FIDE duties after the next election, but instead he’s once more a candidate to become FIDE deputy president, this time under Turlov, who announced his candidacy on Facebook. Turlov says of FIDE, “a federation with a century of history stands at a crossroads,” and states recent progress, “must be intensified, given fresh energy, and carried forward.” 

Turlov has been based in Kazakhstan since 2011, and renounced his Russian and St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship to become a citizen of Kazakhstan in 2022, after the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine. In 2023, he became the president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, while he also heads the newly established International School Chess Federation (ISCF).

Turlov’s NASDAQ-listed Freedom Holding company has been the major sponsor for numerous events, including the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Championships that were held on Wall Street in New York. He says he’s invested more than $75 million into chess, while his company has also acquired the German company ChessBase.

Turlov ends his announcement of his “open and uniting” vision for FIDE by referring to Anand as, “a great champion, a legend of world chess, and FIDE Deputy President since 2022,” adding, “It is a true honor for me to share with him a common vision for the future of chess worldwide.”

The FIDE presidential election will take place during the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan this September, with four candidates currently likely to stand. Turlov is joined by Rosenstein and Buettner, as well as Ilyumzhinov, who served as FIDE president from 1995 to 2018. The latter has gained the support of the Russian Chess Federation, although the federation itself is currently suspended. 

The Chess Federation of Russia will support Kirsan Ilyumzhinov for the FIDE presidency, Andrey Filatov confirmed this to TASS

— Chess Federation of Russia (@ruchess_eng) July 24, 2026

Russian Chess Federation President Andrey Filatov told Russian state-run news agency TASS, “one is out [Dvorkovich], and the other is in,” of the potential Russian candidates.