Vadim Rosenstein has publicly condemned the leadership of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), particularly targeting Timur Turlov and Mykhailo Podolyak, claiming they lack chess expertise. He alleged that throughout the election process, he faced intimidation and threats of Ukrainian sanctions urging him to withdraw his candidacy.
Rosenstein, who was born in Zhytomyr and holds German citizenship, leads the WR Group and was a candidate in the FIDE elections, competing against Turlov, the head of Kazakhstan’s Chess Federation and founder of Freedom Holding, who is currently under Ukrainian sanctions.
On September 26 in Samarkand, Turlov defeated Rosenstein in the second round of voting with 110 votes compared to 85. The list of candidates was made public prior to the elections.
Rosenstein has rejected the election results and has filed complaints with FIDE’s ethics committee. He claims Turlov and Malcolm Pein, who ran for vice president on a team led by Jan Henrik Buettner, had an agreement that was discussed before the elections and confirmed after the first voting round. He argues these situations may indicate violations of FIDE’s electoral rules.
Additionally, Rosenstein fiercely denied accusations regarding connections with Russian authorities and the circumvention of sanctions or military supply dealings. He stated that allegations against him lack concrete agreements, goods, or mentions from sanctioned lists to validate such claims. “This is a primitive manipulation and substitution of facts,” he asserted.
He emphasized he has not received instructions from Russian authorities and clarified that he does not manage the Russian company “VR Rus” nor receives dividends from it, noting that exiting the business requires a permit from the Russian government commission.
He explained reports of importing Italian footwear into Russia were due to the independent actions of the Russian company. References to supplies for “NOVATEK,” he stated, pertained to logistics services for European partners between 2019 and 2021, which have since halted.
Rosenstein also criticized Podolyak’s involvement in FIDE leadership, particularly after Turlov appointed him as one of the organization’s vice presidents post-election. “It is a disgrace that FIDE is managed by Turlov and Podolyak, who have no chess skills,” he remarked, suggesting they play a match against him.
He indicated that Turlov retains the influence of the previous FIDE president, former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. Rosenstein cited the continued presence of Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand in leadership roles as evidence of this influence.
Context
- Prior to the voting, the Ukrainian Chess Federation, led by former Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin, declared its non-support for Turlov, who has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2022, and did not authorize Podolyak to represent it in FIDE. The federation insisted that national federations must submit proposals for including representatives in international organizations.
- Following the announcement of new FIDE leadership, the Ukrainian federation criticized Podolyak’s actions. Initially, the federation also urged the Security Service of Ukraine to assess the situation, but later removed this segment from their statement.
- In a video address dated September 29, Podolyak dismissed the Ukrainian federation’s claims, stating that the executive vice president position suggested by the FIDE president does not require national federation approval. He explained his involvement aimed to strengthen Ukraine’s international standing and counter Russian influence, calling Ukrainian sanctions against Turlov “a bit strange.”
- On October 23, the board of the European Chess Union unanimously supported the Ukrainian Chess Federation’s objection to granting Podolyak a FIDE identification code under the Ukrainian flag. As reported on October 25, the organizations have agreed to lodge a joint protest and demand the cancellation of this decision.
