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.
RCF Vice President Sergey Smagin added that Dvorkovich had done a lot for the development of the world chess and his contenders in the presidential race have nothing to offer to oppose him.
"One should follow someone who is not about just talking, but proposes real steps for the development," Smagin told TASS. "If it’s not about revolutionary steps, but the team of Arkady Vladimirovich [Dvorkovich] did a lot of things that helped players realize that professional chess may provide decent earnings. I can add that women's chess has made a huge step forward."
"The most important issue for us is definitely the participation of our national [chess] teams and the full reinstatement of athletes' rights, but here we must understand that not everything is possible at once, and he [Dvorkovich] is doing everything possible in this regard," Smagin pointed out.
"It seems to me that he won't be standing any real competition. In my opinion, he currently has the strongest position and it is unclear what others can really challenge him with," Smagin 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.
FIDE’s sanctions against Russia
On February 28, 2022, FIDE announced that chess players from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to participate in international competitions under a neutral status, adding, however, that the federation had barred both countries from hosting official chess competitions.
On March 16, 2022, the world governing body of chess barred teams representing Russia and Belarus from all international competition.
On June 7, 2024, the FIDE Ethics Commission ruled to suspend the membership of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) with the global federation for the two-year period because the RCF included as its members chess associations from the country’s new territories.
On June 26, 2024, Russia’s governing chess body filed an appeal against the decision of the FIDE Ethics Commission and requested a complete overhaul of the Ethics Commission, as well as the return of the flag and anthem to Russian athletes.
On September 13, 2024, the Appeals Chamber of the FIA Ethics Commission overturned the body's earlier decision to revoke the RCF’s membership, upholding the appeal of the Russian Chess Federation.
In July, 2025, FIDE allowed the Russian women's national team to participate in the World Team Championship under the FIDE banner while the European Chess Union (ECU) opposed this decision. The Russian team eventually won the tournament.
On December 14, 2025, FIDE ruled that "youth athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports… In addition, the standard protocols of the IF [International Federations] or the International Sports Event Organizer regarding flags, anthems, uniforms and other elements should apply, provided that the national sports organization concerned is in good standing."