GENEVA, June 29. /TASS/. Russia’s Arkady Dvorkovich has decided to run for a third term as president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), the federation’s press office announced in its statement on Monday.
Earlier, Germans Wadim Rosenstein and Jan Henric Buettner both threw their hats in to the ring for the FIDE presidency. The election of the federation’s new president is slated to be held at the 2026 FIDE General Assembly in September.
"Over the past two terms, our priority was to stabilize FIDE, restore confidence and expand opportunities across the chess world. Together with our member federations, players, organizers, arbiters, volunteers and partners, we have helped bring chess to millions of new people," the statement quotes Dvorkovich as saying.
"But growth alone is not enough. Success also creates new responsibilities. The next stage must be about renewal," Russia’s FIDE chief continued. "FIDE must become even more open, more efficient and more responsive.
"It must do more to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and turn more directly towards those who make chess possible - federations, players, clubs, organizers, arbiters, coaches, schools and volunteers," Dvorkovich added.
The statement also points out that among Dvorkovich's priorities if he is elected again will be to simplify services for national federations, reduce bureaucracy within FIDE, expand digital tools, provide more direct support to federations, invest in youth and mass programs, increase financial stability and popularize chess in regions with great development potential, including Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Reached by a TASS correspondent, President of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) Andrey Filatov said commenting on Dvorkovich’s intention to run for the FIDE presidency that the RCF will do all it can to help him win.
"I would like to wish Arkady Vladimirovich [Dvorkovich] success in the upcoming elections. I am sure that the authority of the RCF will help Dvorkovich successfully win the elections, as it has already happened on two [previous] occasions," Filatov told TASS.
"Our [Russian] Chess Federation believes in the victory of the Russian candidate and that after his election the rights of the Russian Chess Federation and Russian chess players will be fully reinstated," RCF President Filatov added.
Dvorkovich, 54, was first elected the president of FIDE in October 2018. On August 7, 2022, at the FIDE General Assembly in India’s Chennai, Dvorkovich was re-elected as president of the World Chess Federation.