FIDE presidential candidate Timur Turlov said the world chess governing body must continue to comply with international sports rulings restricting Russian participation, while expressing hope that Russian federations can eventually meet the conditions for a full return to international competition.
The election is scheduled for Sept. 26 during the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where the Kazakh businessman will face German entrepreneurs Wadim Rosenstein and Jan Henric Buettner.
The status of Russian players has emerged as a key issue in the presidential race, particularly after incumbent Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister, decided not to seek a new term after being included in a European Union sanctions package.
Turlov was initially part of Dvorkovich's presidential team before launching his own campaign for the FIDE presidency.
"I respect Arkady very much and I truly believe that he did a great job for FIDE," Turlov told Reuters on a video call.
"But I am too independent to be someone else's shadow."
Turlov renounced his Russian citizenship and became a Kazakh citizen in 2022, while his Freedom Holding Corp. group has sought to distance itself from Russia-related business activities. He and the company were sanctioned by Ukraine the same year, measures he has repeatedly challenged.
He said any administration under his leadership would continue to abide by rulings issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, or CAS, which prevent Russian teams from competing in FIDE events.
"We will follow this CAS ruling because we have to be compliant with the Olympic movement," Turlov said.
"If we are excluded from the Olympic movement because of disrespect to CAS decisions, that will hurt the chess movement very much."
Turlov expressed hope that the Russian federation would meet the requirements needed to return to international competition, arguing that the sport was losing access to a generation of talented players.
The businessman also addressed questions surrounding Ukrainian sanctions against him, saying he should be judged on his record and vision rather than political narratives.
"I think the best way to address concerns about Ukrainian sanctions is to team up with the Ukrainian team in some way," he said. "I want to reunite FIDE as much as I can to get different representations."
The election campaign has also been overshadowed by complaints over visa delays affecting delegates and officials traveling to the Chess Olympiad and FIDE Congress.
Turlov said he had raised concerns with organizers.
"We need as fair an election as possible and to have as much representation as possible," he said.
"It's important not to influence the election, intentionally or unintentionally."
Beyond politics, Turlov said he would focus on expanding chess's digital reach, supporting smaller federations and attracting new audiences through greater investment in online infrastructure, artificial intelligence and anti-cheating technology.
