Three-way race: who will win power in chess?

“Gens una sumus” (“We are one family”) is the motto of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Yet when officials from some 200 countries gather for their congress in Samarkand on Saturday, September 26, it is not likely to feel like a joyous family reunion.

A new FIDE president is to be elected in Uzbekistan, and a three-way, politically charged race for the post has erupted, with the outcome uncertain. It has been clear since July that the incumbent FIDE president, Arkady Dvorkovich, would not be standing for re-election. The European Union had placed the former Russian deputy prime minister on its sanctions list due to his support for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

Three entrepreneurs vying for the top job

The candidates standing for election are Kazakh billionaire Timur Turlov and two Germans: investor Jan Henric Buettner and entrepreneur Wadim Rosenstein, who is running as the official candidate of the German Chess Federation (DSB).

For the first time in over 30 years, FIDE will not be led by a Russian. Nevertheless, the three contenders repeatedly face two questions: What are their ties to Russia? And where do the millions come from that FIDE uses to finance itself and its competitions? For the Kremlin, chess remains a component of Russia’s soft power, and little happens within FIDE without financial backers linked to Russia.

Jan Henric Buettner: The Formula 1 model

Buettner is arguably the best positioned to answer these questions. A native of Hamburg, he has made a name for himself in the chess world through his collaboration with former world champion Magnus Carlsen. The 62-year-old German has no known ties to Moscow that would require explanation. On the contrary: “We are the only team with no connection to Russia,” Malcolm Pein — Buettner’s candidate for vice president — told the Ledger.

Buettner and his running mate say they intend to reduce reliance on Russian financial backers and make chess commercially successful. Buettner plans to distribute 20% of FIDE’s revenue to chess federations worldwide. The former AOL executive looks to Formula 1 motor racing as his model – a vision likely considered too radical by many officials in the chess world. Consequently, Buettner is seen as having only an outside chance of winning.

Timur Turlov: The establishment candidate

The favorite to become FIDE’s new president is Timur Turlov. Born in Moscow, he became a Kazakh citizen in 2022 and is one of the wealthiest men in the Central Asian nation. The entrepreneur is considered a close associate of outgoing President Dvorkovich and, by extension, a member of the FIDE establishment. Regarding finances, too, the status quo is likely to remain unchanged under the 38-year-old; after all, Turlov’s publicly traded financial firm, Freedom Holding Corp., has been FIDE’s main sponsor for many years.

The prospect of Turlov potentially holding the dual roles of FIDE president and major financial backer does not sit well with everyone in the chess community. Furthermore, Freedom Holding Corp. and its CEO are currently on Ukraine’s sanctions list. Ukrainian authorities accuse Turlov’s company of helping to finance Russia’s war of aggression. Press reports also suggest that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken an interest in Turlov’s financial firm.