On June 5th 2026 the Supervisory Board of the Chess Federation of Russia elected Arkady Dvorkovich as the potential candidate from the CFR for the post of FIDE President – an election scheduled for September that will take place at the General Assembly in Samarkand. CFR President Andrey Filatov said: "We congratulate Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich on his nomination by the Chess Federation of Russia. The election campaign begins on June 26, and we have no doubt our candidate will win the September elections in Samarkand."
Then, last Thursday, the European Union announced its 21st package of sanctions against Russia. 48 individuals and 170 entities were on the expanded sanctions list. One of them was Arkady Dvorkovich. Within hours Dvorkovich voluntarily suspended the exercise of his duties as President of International Chess Federation, "to avoid disrupting the federation while the sanctions remain in force under EU and Swiss law." Under the FIDE Charter, Vice President Viswanathan Anand assumed the role of Interim FIDE President.
Now a second Russian candidate has emerged: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, one of the most colorful and controversial figures in modern chess administration. He served as FIDE President from 1995 to 2018 – until the U.S. Treasury sanctioned him over alleged dealings with the Syrian government. Those sanctions contributed to his departure from the FIDE presidency in 2018.
On July 20 Ilyumzhinov formally announced his candidacy:
"I am returning for one reason," he declared. "I have made this decision because I cannot remain on the sidelines at a time when FIDE once again needs unity, strong leadership, and a clear vision for its future.
I am returning neither for power nor to recreate the past. I am returning for one presidential term: to unite the chess world, restore the confidence of national federations, return prestige to the World Championship title, bring chess into the Olympic programme, secure international sponsorship for FIDE, and prepare a worthy successor.
My task is to hand over to the next generation a strong, independent, financially sustainable, and united Federation. The time has come to unite the chess world once again."
It is important to note that this announcement came before Dvorkovich's suspension. So Ilyumzhinov was not reacting to a vacancy – he had already decided to challenge the incumbent while Dvorkovich was still actively seeking a third term.
On July 24 the Chess Federation of Russia announced its support of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov for FIDE Presidency. Apparently FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich had announced his decision not to run for re-election in the wake of EU sanctions. Ilyumzhinov was the second Russian candidate, and accordingly replaced Dvorkovich in the election bid. "One is out, and the other is in," said Andrey Filatov said.
Also read
A Journey to Elista – My adventures with Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in 2007 during the Candidates Tournament in Elista, Kalmykia.
Last minute flash
Now, suddenly, Sunday, 26 Jul 2026 19:05, FIDE informs us that the nomination period for the 2026 FIDE Presidential Elections officially closed – and Kirsan is not one of the candidates.
Before the deadline, the FIDE Office received three presidential tickets:
In accordance with Article 21 of the FIDE Electoral Rules (Election of the President and Deputy President), the Electoral Commission (ELC) will now conduct a preliminary examination of the submitted candidacies and approve the list of valid presidential tickets. The approved list will be published on the FIDE website and made available to all Member Federations.
The 2026 FIDE Presidential Election will take place on September 26, 2026, during the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Each Member Federation represented at the General Assembly is entitled to one vote.
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