The official campaign period for the 2026 International Chess Federation (FIDE) presidential elections has commenced. National chess federations will cast their votes during the upcoming FIDE General Assembly in Uzbekistan to determine the leadership and governance structure of the organization for the next term.
The election features prominent international entrepreneurs, sports administrators, and multi-billion-dollar corporate backers forming strategic partnerships.
- Arkady Dvorkovich & Timur Turlov Ticket
Presidential Candidate: Arkady Dvorkovich (Incumbent FIDE President; former Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation). Following the 2023 FIDE decision to abolish presidential term limits, he is campaigning for a third consecutive term.
Deputy President Candidate: Timur Turlov (Kazakh billionaire and founder of the NASDAQ-listed financial firm Freedom Holding). Turlov currently holds a Kazakh passport and is under Ukrainian state sanctions. Over the past three years, he has underwritten FIDE’s highest-budget events and his corporate entity recently acquired the software provider ChessBase for €5 million.
Strategic Alignment: Turlov is officially running on Dvorkovich’s ticket as the Deputy President candidate. This joint bid functions as a contingency measure to secure operational continuity for their coalition in the event that Dvorkovich faces upcoming European Union sanctions.
- Wadim Rosenstein & Gordon Tang Ticket
Presidential Candidate: Wadim Rosenstein (German entrepreneur and owner of the “WR Chess” brand). Rosenstein officially transferred his chess federation affiliation from Russia to Germany in 2023. Corporate registry records show he retains ownership in three active companies registered in Russia.
Deputy President Candidate: Gordon Tang (Billionaire entrepreneur from China).
- Jan Henric Buettner & Malcolm Pein Ticket
Presidential Candidate: Jan Henric Buettner (German tech pioneer, venture capitalist, and chess patron). He is widely recognized for his successful track record in the internet and mobile sectors, including the expansion of AOL Europe and investments in major companies like Sonos and Groupon. In partnership with Magnus Carlsen, he co-founded the “Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour,” an innovative Chess960 circuit aimed at modernizing the game’s format and expanding its commercial and global appeal.
Deputy President Candidate: Malcolm Pein (English International Master, journalist, and one of the world’s most respected chess organizers, best known for running the London Chess Classic).
The upcoming vote in Uzbekistan presents member federations with distinct operational models for the future of global chess. Delegates will choose between the incumbent administration of Dvorkovich backed by Russian politics, Central Asian capital and Turlov’s infrastructure, the corporate framework of Rosenstein paired with Chinese financial backing, or the Western venture-capital model introduced by Buettner and Pein.
The final decision will define FIDE’s financial structure and international alignment for the upcoming cycle.
