Timur Turlov Runs for FIDE President: He Outlines His Platform at the Samarkand Olympiad

The 46th Chess Olympiad is running in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 15 to 27 September. The FIDE presidential election takes place as part of the same event.

The FIDE presidential election is held on 26 September at the FIDE General Assembly. Each member federation has one vote; FIDE has close to 200 member federations.

Three presidential tickets

Three tickets are running for the presidency:

• Timur Turlov (President) + Viswanathan Anand (Deputy President)
• Wadim Rosenstein (President) + Gordon Tang (Deputy President)
• Jan Henric Buettner (President) + Malcolm Pein (Deputy President)

Incumbent president Arkady Dvorkovich has led FIDE since 2018.

Who is Timur Turlov?

Timur Turlov is the founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp and head of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. His corporation has more than 10,000 employees; Turlov has six children.

I learned to play chess as a kid; my grandfather taught me.

— Timur Turlov, candidate for FIDE President, head of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (The Times of Central Asia)

Turlov's platform

Turlov's platform sets out the following pledges:

• Education: chess has been introduced in 1,500 schools in Kazakhstan, with a target of 2,500 next year
• Governance and technology: implement Salesforce CRM systems, a digital FIDE ID and learning-management systems
• Calendar stability: establish a predictable event schedule, like professional tennis
• Media and sponsorship: boost coverage and sponsorship via major companies (he named Alibaba, Citibank and Tencent as examples of the scale he is targeting)
• Accessibility: expand chess to underserved regions (Africa, Latin America); increase women's and youth participation

Chess doesn't have to be a niche competitive sport. It teaches patience, self-discipline.

— Timur Turlov, candidate for FIDE President, head of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (The Times of Central Asia)

By the numbers

• 46th Chess Olympiad: Samarkand, 15–27 September 2026
• FIDE presidential election: 26 September 2026, at the General Assembly
• Presidential tickets: 3
• Member federations: about 200; one vote each
• Schools with chess (Kazakhstan): 1,500 → 2,500 (target)
• Freedom Holding Corp employees: more than 10,000
• Dvorkovich as FIDE president: since 2018

Why it matters

The election is being held in Uzbekistan, as part of the Samarkand Chess Olympiad. The choice between the three tickets will set the direction of FIDE's governance; Turlov's platform emphasises education, technology and calendar stability.