Bengaluru: The race for the top position in FIDE has narrowed down to three candidates: entrepreneurs Jan Buettner and Wadim Rosenstein, along with the current FIDE president, Arkady Dvorkovich. Dvorkovich announced on Monday his intention to pursue a third consecutive term in office. Notably, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand will not be alongside him as a candidate for deputy president this time.
Event Context
Buettner has appointed British International Master and tournament organizer Malcolm Pein as his second-in-command, as he faces off against the current FIDE administration led by Arkady Dvorkovich. The dispute centers around the authority to host the Freestyle Chess World Championship. Meanwhile, Rosenstein, alongside his deputy Gordon Tang, a Chinese entrepreneur, has a background in organizing chess events privately, including the WR Chess. He played a pivotal role in establishing the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships.
Team Analysis
In 2022, the Indian Grandmaster competed alongside Arkady Dvorkovich and secured victory. This year, Timur Turlov, the founder and principal shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp, will take on the role of deputy alongside Dvorkovich. Turlov is also the president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
Viswanathan Anand, who has served as deputy president for the past four years, will not be running for re-election but is expected to lend his expertise to Dvorkovich’s campaign.
‘I will continue to support the campaign and share my insights with FIDE, particularly in assisting emerging and developing federations to expand the game,’ Anand stated.
German entrepreneurs Buettner and Rosenstein have previously announced their candidacies. Buettner entered the chess scene in 2024 by supporting Freestyle Chess, collaborating with world number one Magnus Carlsen, who advocates for Chess960.
Match Outlook
The FIDE elections are scheduled for September 26-27 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, coinciding with the Olympiad.
