FIDE Elections (2022-2026):
- Arkady Dvorkovich (Russia) – 157 votes
- Andrii Baryshpolets (Ukraine) – 16 Votes
- French Bachar Kouatly (France) – Withdrew
- 5 Absented the voting
- 1 Invalid Vote
Arkady Dvorkovich, 50, from Russia was re-elected as president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for the second term in office on Sunday, August 7, 2022.
The former Russian former deputy premier tallied 157 votes from the 179 national chess associations, including Uganda, to beat off Ukrainian grandmaster Andrii Baryshpolets.
There were five abstentions and one invalid vote.
Dvorkovich was therefore declared winner by the body’s electoral commission head Roberto Rivello.
Dvorkovich served under President Vladimir Putin as deputy prime minister from 2012-2018 when he was elected FIDE president.
A third candidate, French Bachar Kouatly, withdrew his candidature after giving his speech, before voting began.
Dvorkovich reiterated that he would continue to dispense his duties with integrity. “Yes, I am Russian, and I have served the people of my country, including the Russian chess community as Chairman of the Board of the Russian Chess Federation, but have been trying to do my job professionally and with the highest possible level of integrity,” he said during his speech before voting.
The 50-year-old emphasized that he would continue to support Ukraine’s cause.
“I took a strong position on the tragic events in Ukraine as well as supported Fide Council decisions regarding scaling down Russia’s involvement in Fide. Moreover, while abandoning Russian partners, we have been able to find new ones around the globe, organize this Chess Olympiad [in India] and ensure financial stability for Fide. It is far from easy for me personally, but I hope that chess can re-unite people again,” he said.
Meanwhile, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand was voted as the FIDE Vice president.
From being one of the finest players in the world, Viswanathan will embark on his new role as Fide vice-president.
“For me, chess is a part of who I am. As a chess player, I have been fortunate to see the game transform from a niche game to a mass sport. I’m now happy to be part of the Dvorkovich team as we try to continue to make that positive change.”
The switch from chessboard to board politics means Anand’s playing days are literally over.
The election was one of the reasons he didn’t play in the Olympiad.
“Compared to three or four years back, I have cut down on my time as an active chess player. I have long aspired to come into chess administration and this opportunity as deputy president will be a huge learning curve for me,” Anand had said before the polls as quoted by Indian Express.
Meanwhile, round nine of the 44th Chess Olympiad was played on Sunday, 7th August 2022.
Uganda faced North Macedonia in the women section and played Afghanistan in the open section.
Both Uganda’s teams had secured four victories apiece prior to the 9th round.