Viswanathan Anand Becomes Interim FIDE President
Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand has become the first Indian to serve as interim president of the International Chess Federation after incumbent Arkady Dvorkovich temporarily suspended his duties.
Viswanathan Anand Becomes Interim FIDE President
Anand assumed the responsibilities under Article 19.2 of the FIDE Charter because he currently serves as the organisation’s Deputy President. The FIDE Council accepted and ratified the leadership arrangement.
The Indian grandmaster said his immediate priority would be ensuring continuity and working with the FIDE Council, administration and national federations to serve the global chess community.
Anand, the 15th classical world champion, became FIDE Deputy President in 2022 after supporting Dvorkovich’s successful re-election campaign.
EU Sanctions Prompt FIDE Leadership Change
Dvorkovich voluntarily suspended his presidential powers after the European Union included him in its latest sanctions package connected with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian former deputy prime minister described the sanctions as unlawful and unfair and said he would challenge them through available legal channels. He stepped aside because the restrictions could affect FIDE’s international operations, financial transactions and institutional stability.
Anand will remain interim president while Dvorkovich is subject to applicable restrictions under European Union and Swiss laws.
FIDE Election Scheduled for September
The leadership change comes before the FIDE presidential election at the organisation’s General Assembly during the the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September.
Dvorkovich, who has headed FIDE since 2018, previously announced that he would seek a third term. Anand had already confirmed that he would not contest another term as Deputy President but intended to continue contributing to FIDE programmes.
The sanctions and temporary transition could now influence the leadership contest and future governance of international chess.
