Timur Turlov

These achievements were not the result of one initiative. They came from a clear strategy, disciplined execution, responsible governance, and strong partnerships. Every country is different, and there is no universal model. But the experience we have gained can be adapted to help federations of every size develop faster, become more sustainable, and create more opportunities for players.

Results matter: President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation A programme should not be judged by promises alone, but by the ability to deliver. Let me share with you the results my team and I have achieved in developing chess in Kazakhstan—and why I believe this experience can help strengthen FIDE and support every Member Federation. Since becoming President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation in 2023, we have transformed many aspects of our chess ecosystem: 🥇 A national talent development programme launched. In 2025, Kazakh players won 162 international medals, including a national-record 64 gold medals. ♟️ Chess introduced in 1,500+ schools, reaching 60,000 children. 🏆 Kazakhstan established as a host of major international events, including the World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships, Women's Grand Prix, World Schools Team Championship, and the Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities. Also, more than 10,000 tournaments organised nationwide. 💻 A comprehensive digital transformation of federation operations, making services more efficient and accessible for players, clubs and organisers. 🤝 A sustainable funding model built through long-term partnerships with the private sector.
 #TurlovForChess #FIDE #Chess #Leadership #FutureOfChess

Today, I begin sharing the key commitments of my programme for the future of FIDE. The first priority is Digital Transformation. Technology should empower every federation—not just those with the largest budgets. My vision is to build a modern, connected FIDE that gives every Member Federation access to the digital tools needed to grow chess more effectively. My priorities include: 💻 Creating a unified FIDE digital ecosystem with a single player account, rating history, online competitions, and educational resources. 📋 Providing practical digital tools to help national federations manage their daily operations more efficiently and reduce unnecessary paperwork. 🗳️ Enabling federations to express their positions on key FIDE matters through secure online platforms. 🔗 Opening technical interfaces so federations can seamlessly integrate their own tournaments, rating systems, and services. 🤖 Making AI-powered tools for game analysis, training, anti-cheating, education, and tournament administration available to every federation—regardless of its size or resources. My commitment is clear: to present a practical roadmap for FIDE's digital transformation and ensure that every Member Federation benefits from modern technology. This is the first of several programme priorities I will be sharing in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! #TurlovForChess #FIDE #DigitalTransformation #Chess #Innovation #AI

Our campaign website is now live! I am pleased to launch TurlovForChess.com - a place where you can learn more about my vision for the future of FIDE and global chess. On the website, you will find: ♟️ My background and experience 📋 My programme and key priorities 🤝 The principles that guide my leadership 🌍 My vision for supporting every Member Federation and growing chess worldwide This campaign is built on a simple belief: strong federations create a stronger global chess community. By sharing proven experience, embracing innovation, and working together, we can open new opportunities for players, organisers, arbiters, trainers, and federations across the world. I invite you to explore the website, learn more about my programme, and share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing your ideas as we shape the future of chess. Together. Visit: TurlovForChess.com #TurlovForChess #FIDE #Chess #Leadership #FutureOfChess

📈 Results of the past. Strategy for the future. Throughout my journey as Founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, President of the International School Chess Federation, and Chairman of the Chess Association of Turkic-Speaking Countries, my team and I have focused on one thing: delivering measurable results. 🤝 Together, we have shown how strategic leadership can strengthen chess by attracting investment, modernising administration, supporting organisers, developing young talent, and expanding participation. 🌍 Every federation is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. But the experience we have gained can serve as a practical resource—adapted to the needs, priorities, and ambitions of each Member Federation. If elected as FIDE President, my commitment is clear: to help every federation benefit from proven experience while respecting its own identity, traditions, and vision for the future. #TurlovforChess #FIDE

🌍 Creating more opportunities through chess During my visit to Ethiopia, I had the pleasure of meeting with State Minister Mekiyou Mahammad Abadiga and representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Ethiopia to discuss how we can work together to expand chess and create more opportunities for young people. We share a common vision: making chess more accessible through education and strengthening international cooperation for the benefit of future generations. ♟️📚 A particularly meaningful moment of the visit was the distribution of 33 specialised chess sets for children with visual impairments to four schools and educational centres supporting blind children across Ethiopia. Starting from the next academic year, the Ethiopian Chess Federation will also introduce regular chess lessons at the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak School for the Blind. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Geleta Teshome Bekele, President of the Ethiopian Chess Federation, for his leadership, dedication and warm hospitality. His commitment to developing chess in Ethiopia is creating lasting opportunities for children and inspiring the next generation of players. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, play and grow through chess. I am proud that the International School Chess Federation, FIDE and the Ethiopian Chess Federation are working together to make that vision a reality. #TurlovforChess #ChessForAll #ChessInEducation #FIDE #ISCF #Ethiopia #Inclusion #Chess

@FIDE_chess @JanHBuettner If elected, together with Deputy President Viswanathan Anand, I will bring to FIDE strong executive and financial leadership, a technology-driven vision, and a proven ability to deliver rapid, measurable growth in chess development.

♟ FIDE 2026 Elections: Presidential Ticket Candidacies Announced ℹ️ Get to know the candidates by reading the texts from their application forms: fide.com/fide-2026-elec… ▪️Jan Henric Buettner (@JanHBuettner) (b. 1964) is an international entrepreneur, investor, sports innovator, and philanthropist with more than three decades of experience building global organizations, raising investment capital, creating strategic partnerships, and leading complex international businesses. Throughout his career Buettner has founded and developed companies in the fields of telecommunications, internet technology, venture capital, luxury hospitality and sports, including helping to establish AOL Europe, founding BV Capital (now Headline Ventures), and creating the award-winning WEISSENHAUS Private Nature Luxury Resort. In recent years he has focused increasingly on chess. ▪️Wadim Rosenstein (@WadimRosenstein) (b. 1990) is an entrepreneur, the founder of WR Chess, and Chairman of WR Group Holding. Rosenstein’s career began in 2009 at ThyssenKrupp in Germany, followed by an executive position at Siemag Tecberg Group. Since September 2014 Rosenstein has served as Chairman of WR Group, the company he founded, which has grown into a diversified global enterprise operating in 70 countries, specialising in logistics, heavy engineering, and IT, with additional interests in real estate development and international sports initiatives. Rosenstein has sponsored federations, clubs, and emerging talents across continents. ▪️Timur Turlov (@TurlovforChess) (b. 1987) is a Kazakhstani entrepreneur, financier, and international chess patron, best known as the founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. A specialist in international financial markets and brokerage services, Turlov has built one of the leading financial ecosystems in Central Asia, expanding Freedom’s operations across Kazakhstan, Europe, and the United States. Under his leadership, Freedom Holding Corp. became publicly traded on NASDAQ and significantly broadened its presence in banking, insurance, telecommunications, and digital services. Alongside his business career, Turlov has become an influential figure in the development of chess and sports in Kazakhstan and internationally. The 2026 FIDE Presidential election will be held on September 26, 2026, at the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Each Member Federation represented in the General Assembly and in the assemblies of FIDE continents has one vote.

♟️ The future of chess is built by strong national federations. It was a pleasure to speak at the FIDE Capacity Building Seminar during the African Chess Confederation General Assembly in Addis Ababa and share the experience of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation in building a strong and sustainable chess ecosystem. 🇰🇿 Our journey has shown what is possible when there is a clear vision and consistent execution. We have developed a practical, proven and measurable model that can be adapted and scaled around the world, empowering every federation to grow. @FIDE_chess already provides a wide range of support to its member federations through development funding, capacity-building programmes, Olympiad support, professional training courses and many other initiatives. As a candidate for FIDE President, I am committed to expanding and strengthening these efforts—helping every national federation grow, creating more opportunities for players and chess professionals, and making chess accessible to millions more people worldwide. 🤝 Stronger federations mean a stronger global chess community. #TurlovForChess #FIDE #Chess #Africa #ChessDevelopment

🎉 Congratulations to Benard Wanjala on his election as President of the African Chess Confederation! The election demonstrated the strength and vitality of African chess. A closely contested vote - 25 to 24 - reflects the engagement and commitment of the African chess community to shaping its future. I wish President Wanjala and the entire ACC leadership every success in the years ahead. 🤝 I look forward to working closely together to strengthen unity across African chess, create new opportunities for federations and players, and help the game continue to grow and flourish across the continent.

@FIDE_chess Honoured to join the race with @vishy64theking as the Deputy President! Thank you to member federations who placed their trust in our team!

♟ Three Presidential Tickets Submitted to FIDE Office Ahead of 2026 Elections Today at 18:00 CEST, the nomination period for the 2026 FIDE Presidential Election officially closed. Before the deadline, the FIDE Office received three presidential tickets (listed in alphabetical order by the presidential candidate): ▪️ Mr. Jan Henric Buettner for President and Mr. Malcolm Pein for Deputy President; ▪️ Mr. Wadim Rosenstein for President and Mr. Gordon Tang for Deputy President; ▪️ Mr. Timur Turlov for President and Mr. Viswanathan Anand for Deputy President. In accordance with Article 21 of the FIDE Electoral Rules (Election of the President and Deputy President), the Electoral Commission (ELC) will now conduct a preliminary examination of the submitted candidacies and approve the list of valid presidential tickets. The approved list will be published on the FIDE website and made available to all Member Federations. As part of this process, the ELC will verify that each application contains all information and declarations required under Article 5.2 of the Electoral Rules and that all eligibility requirements set out in Article 4.1 have been satisfied. The 2026 FIDE Presidential Election will take place on 26 September 2026 during the FIDE General Assembly in 🇺🇿 Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Each Member Federation represented at the General Assembly is entitled to one vote. @JanHBuettner @WadimRosenstein @TurlovforChess

Another proud milestone for Kazakhstan! 🇰🇿♟️ Our young chess players have delivered an outstanding performance at the 28th Asian Youth Chess Championships in Shenzhen, bringing home 13 medals: 6 gold, 1 silver and 6 bronze. This is more than just a successful result - it is proof that systematic investment in youth chess, talented coaches and the dedication of our young players are paying off. I'm especially happy to see new names emerging alongside those who continue to confirm their class with repeated victories. Congratulations to all the medalists, their families, coaches and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. Keep dreaming big and working hard - the greatest victories are still ahead!

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. 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.@TurlovforChess #TurlovforChess #FIDE

♟ In recent years, chess has taken a huge step forward. The game has attracted millions of new players, young people above all, the chess community is growing rapidly across every continent, and digital technology has made the game more accessible than ever. Professional chess is developing just as dynamically, becoming ever more spectacular and commercially attractive. But today, a federation with a century of history stands at a crossroads. The progress we've made cannot be stopped or erased. I believe it must be intensified, given fresh energy, and carried forward. That is why I have decided to put forward my candidacy for President of the International Chess Federation. I'm a businessman from Kazakhstan with over 15 years of leadership experience behind me. The holding company I built, Freedom, is a public company with a market capitalization of $10 billion, present in 22 countries and serving more than 14 million clients, with a team of 11,000 people. In 2023, I became head of Kazakhstan Chess Federation. Since then, we have hosted the Men's World Chess Championship match and the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship, and in just a month, my hometown – Almaty – will host the World University Chess Championship. Since 2024, I have also led the International School Chess Federation, where we run projects across every continent. Over the past several years, I have invested more than $75 million in chess. Every cent invested can be traced to a concrete result – from infrastructure inside Kazakhstan to top champions in New York and Washington. I see FIDE as a strong global institution that must take a decisive step forward on several fronts at once – and here I have real experience to draw on. My country knows how to build dialogue with the most diverse states and find balance where others see only division. I'm convinced that this – open and uniting – is exactly what FIDE must be. It is with this vision that I am entering the upcoming FIDE elections alongside Viswanathan Anand – a great champion, a legend of world chess, and FIDE Deputy President since 2022. It is a true honor for me to share with him a common vision for the future of chess worldwide. #turlovforchess #fide