Could Russia be about to lose its grip on chess leadership?

International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Arkady Dvorkovich isn’t going anywhere – at least if he has things his way.

“FIDE must become even more open, efficient, and responsive,” the former Russian deputy prime minister said in late June when announcing his candidacy for a third term.

The Russian was first elected to the post in 2018. The sanctions imposed on Russian sports over the war in Ukraine have thus far failed to checkmate the 54-year-old economist and politician. On the contrary, in August 2022, months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Dvorkovich was re-elected by a large majority.

Yet Russia lost its dominance at the chessboard long ago; recent world champions have come from China and India. Within FIDE, however, Russian influence remains substantial. Little happens within the organization without funding that is directly or indirectly linked to Russia.

One of FIDE’s key sponsors is financier Timur Turlov. Although he became a Kazakh citizen in 2022, he is originally from Russia. Turlov is now running to become a FIDE vice president under Dvorkovich.

Challengers from Germany

However, the vote in September could prove to be a tight race, as two Germans have announced their candidacies for the presidency. The congress in Uzbekistan could thus see a three-way contest for the votes of the approximately 200 national delegates.

“I still consider Arkady Dvorkovich the favorite in this race,” Peter Heine Neilsen, the coach of former world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway, said. However, should he be put under EU (European Union) sanctions this could change the situation.

Neilsen, of Denmark, was on the ticket with Ukrainian grandmaster Andrey Baryshpolets, when he unsuccessfully ran for FIDE president in 2022.

This time, he is backing German investor Jan Henric Buettner. The former internet executive’s goal is “to improve transparency and create sustainable, long-term growth for our sport.”

Buettner’s candidate for vice president is the veteran English chess official Malcolm Pein.

“All over the world, chess has grown immensely over the last five years – but FIDE hasn’t,” Pein told DW. “We want to change that.”

According to Pein, a key challenge for FIDE is attracting new sponsors who have no ties to Russia. The Englishman is an outspoken critic of Russia’s dominance of FIDE.

However, the fact that Buettner is now seeking to become the head of FIDE has surprised some in the chess world. Buettner has spent recent years helping former world champion Carlsen to establish “freestyle” chess—a variant in which the starting position is determined by a draw, rendering memorized opening moves irrelevant. However, to many, he comes across more like an outgoing startup entrepreneur than a future federation president holding a diplomatic passport.

DSB backs Rosenstein

“I cannot fathom Jan Henric Buettner’s candidacy, nor do I think it has any chance of success,” Paul Meyer-Dunker, president of the German Chess Federation (DSB) told DW.

“Buettner did not contact us before announcing his candidacy, nor did he collaborate with the DSB on his freestyle activities.”

The DSB are pinning their hopes on another German: Wadim Rosenstein. The 35-year-old entrepreneur from Düsseldorf has been financing and organizing top-tier chess events worldwide since 2022. He even participates himself as an amateur player sometimes. His vision is to make FIDE “one of the most respected institutions” in international sports.

“Wadim Rosenstein is someone who doesn’t just talk; he takes action,” Meyer-Dunker stressed.

By his own account, Rosenstein has invested millions of euros in the sport of chess over the past few years, in part through his company WR Logistics, which has been a major sponsor of FIDE international events. However, he declined when asked by DW to put a figure on just how much he has invested in the sport.

Even the Buettner camp acknowledges that Rosenstein has set a great deal in motion in the global chess world. However, questions remain.

“I am grateful for Wadim Rosenstein’s work as a sponsor and organizer of chess events all over the world,” Pein said. “But I am worried about the absence of hard facts about his business background.”

Rosenstein counters that his businesses are private as opposed to publicly listed companies, meaning he is under no obligation to release details of his assets. He did, however, say that his companies were active in some 70 countries.

Until 2022, a key focus for Rosenstein, who was born in 1990 in present-day Ukraine, was supporting German companies in regions like Ukraine and Russia. In 2022, however, he ceased doing business with Russia, even though he “formally” remains the owner of companies there.

DSB President Meyer-Dunker is well aware of the questions surrounding his candidate for the FIDE role.

“There is constant speculation among some people regarding Wadim Rosenstein’s motives and background, but we know that he is a successful and reputable entrepreneur with a great love for the sport of chess,” Meyer-Dunker said.

“In my view, he represents the best chance of ousting Dvorkovich and pushing through necessary reforms in international chess.”

Pein sees things differently.

“Wadim Rosenstein asked me to join his ticket, but I declined, because I could not move past my suspicions,” Pein said.

“Wadim Rosenstein has been evasive on the issue of Russia’s role in chess politics. I demand that he makes a clear statement about the illegal activities of the Russian Chess Federation in the occupied territories in Ukraine and about the participation of Russian players and teams in official FIDE events,” Pein explained.

CAS ruling leaves Russia without a vote

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently ruled in favor of Ukraine, which had complained that the Russian Chess Federation had organized chess events in occupied Ukrainian territories. In June, FIDE suspended the Russian federation’s membership because of the ruling.

“As a matter of principle, I would prefer a world in which every player can compete under their own national flag,” Rosenstein replied, when DW asked him to outline his position on the matter.

“At the same time, the President of FIDE must serve every member federation responsibly and within the rules. In this case, there is a clear legal framework: the Russian Chess Federation has been affected by a CAS ruling, and those decisions must be implemented immediately.”

The ruling also means that as things stand, the Russian federation is barred from voting in September’s FIDE election. Nevertheless, the campaign is being watched with great interest in Russia. The Russian Chess Federation’s website features a favorable article on Dvorkovich’s candidacy, as well as one about Rosenstein’s.

There is no mention of Jan Henric Buettner and Malcolm Pein. Perhaps this is merely a coincidence, but Heine doesn’t seem surprised.

“Generally, in the world of chess, players, officials and the broader chess community are happy if interesting tournaments and events are organized,” he said. “And they don’t tend to ask too many questions as to where the money comes from.”

This article was adapted from German.