Chess-Kazakh Turlov named as FIDE president

Kazakh businessman Timur ​Turlov was elected as ​the eighth president ‌of world ​chess governing body FIDE on Saturday after a closely fought ‌contest at the organisation's General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, . The election was widely seen as a defining vote for ‌FIDE amid debates over governance, Russia's place ‌in international chess and the sport's commercial future. Of FIDE's 204 member federations, 202 were eligible to vote with the ⁠Russian ​and Rwandan ⁠federations suspended.

The race was transformed this year when incumbent Arkady ⁠Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister who had ​led FIDE since 2018, withdrew his bid for ⁠a third term after being included in a European Union ⁠sanctions ​package. Turlov, who was originally part of Dvorkovich's presidential team before launching his own campaign, succeeds ⁠him after an eight-year tenure marked by concerted efforts to ⁠expand ⁠chess's global reach. Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand will be Turlov's deputy.