Viswanathan Anand to Run for FIDE Deputy President Role

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who is currently serving as the Interim President of FIDE, has confirmed that he will run for the Deputy President’s role in the upcoming FIDE elections along with Timur Turlov, who will be running for the top post. Turlov was initially running for the Deputy President’s role in the upcoming elections with Arkady Dvorkovich running for a third term as president. But sanctions from European Union meant that Dvorkovich holding the FIDE chief’s position became untenable. Anand had recently spoken about wanting to not contest for the elections again to spend more time with family. “I simply wanted to have more time at home. My son will probably go to university in three years, I thought these are the years I should be here. That was a big motivation to get a different role. But I am still very much part of the team.” But with Dvorkovich out of contention, Turlov stepped up to run for president’s role while Anand will be his running mate. Anand also is the interim chief of FIDE for the next two months , until election happen during the Olympiad in Samarkand. “Over the past four years, it has been an honour to work at FIDE and contribute to the development of chess. I have worked with colleagues from grassroots programmes to elite competitions. Together, we have made significant progress in expanding opportunities for players, federations and organisers, while making chess more accessible. I am proud of what we have achieved as a team, but I also believe there is much more we can accomplish. That is why I have accepted Timur Turlov’s invitation to continue serving as FIDE Deputy President as part of his team,” Anand wrote on X on Sunday. “I believe Timur has the vision, energy and expertise to maintain the momentum we have built in recent years while opening new opportunities for chess. His experience in leading a publicly listed international company, his commitment to technology and innovation, and his long-standing support for chess make him well positioned to guide FIDE into its next chapter. Through his leadership, I believe FIDE can become even more digital, financially resilient and inclusive, while ensuring every region of the world has a stronger voice in shaping the future of our game. I look forward to continuing this journey together – for the benefit of players, federations and chess lovers everywhere.”