Key Points
- Timur Turlov was elected president at the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand with a 110-85 vote.
- The 38-year-old Turlov became the second youngest and first Kazakh president in FIDE history.
- Freedom Holding Corp. invested $30 million in Kazakhstan chess over the last three years.
- The election coincided with Uzbekistan's Olympiad gold and Kazakhstan's women's silver medal.
By the Numbers
In the election held on September 26 in Samarkand at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) General Assembly, Kazakh businessman Timur Turlov defeated German businessman Wadim Rosenstein 110 to 85 votes to become FIDE's eighth president. The 38-year-old Turlov became the second youngest president in FIDE history and the first Kazakh representative to hold the post. In the first round, Turlov received 96 votes, Rosenstein 76, and third candidate Jan Henric Buettner 20 votes.
Turlov has served as President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation since January 2023 and also heads the Turkish Chess Federation. As founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., he has made major investments in chess: the company allocated approximately $30 million to chess development in Kazakhstan over the past three years and sponsored more than 20 major FIDE tournaments. The company's market value approached $11 billion during the election period.
The election coincided with the success of Central Asian teams at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. In the open section, Uzbekistan defeated Ukraine 2.5-1.5 in the final to win their second gold medal; in the women's section, China took gold, Kazakhstan silver, and India bronze. Kazakhstan's Elnaz Kaliakhmet won individual gold on board four.
React to this story
Ask about this story
Answers are AI-generated from this story only.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is Timur Turlov and how did he become FIDE president?
- Timur Turlov is the founder of Freedom Holding Corp. and President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. He was elected president in the second round with 110 votes at the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand on September 26, 2024.
- What are Turlov's contributions to chess?
- Through Freedom Holding Corp., he invested $30 million in chess development in Kazakhstan over the last three years, sponsored more than 20 international FIDE tournaments, and became the General Partner of the 2026 FIDE World Championship Match.
- What other significant developments occurred regarding the election?
- The election coincided with the Samarkand Olympiad where Uzbekistan won gold in the open section, Kazakhstan won silver in the women's section, and Elnaz Kaliakhmet won individual gold on board four.
This is an AI-generated summary. The full story lives at the source.
Read the full story at the sourcetimesca.comHow we produce our content →