EU sanctions FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich, who opposed the Ukraine invasion

Chess has once again produced a story worthy of a novel, full of twists and ambiguities. Arkady Dvorkovich, 54, a highly respected figure in Russia for his professional achievements, has stepped down as president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), which represents 201 national federations, after being placed on the European Union’s sanctions list for “undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

But the official Brussels document omits the fact that Dvorkovich condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was immediately punished by Russian President Vladimir Putin for doing so. At the same time, however, Putin continued to support him as FIDE president. Dvorkovich has now left the post and will be replaced on an interim basis until September by former world champion, Indian player Viswanathan Anand.

The son of a longtime personal secretary to former world champion Garry Kasparov, Dvorkovich studied economics at Duke University in the United States and at Moscow State University. He was Putin’s economic adviser from 2008 to 2012, deputy prime minister under Dmitry Medvedev from 2012 to 2018, and head of the organizing committee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Among other senior positions, he also chaired Russian Railways from 2015 to 2018 and led the Skolkovo Foundation from 2018 to 2022, Russia’s closest equivalent to Silicon Valley.

His abrupt dismissal from the latter role was the first consequence of his criticism of the invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. He first spoke out as FIDE president, when the organization issued a clear statement condemning the war, and later in an interview with Mother Jones magazine, where he said: “Wars are the worst things one might face in life.” Dvorkovich also stressed that he equally regretted the death of all those killed in the eight-year conflict in the Donbas between the Ukrainian Army and the pro-Russian militias.

Immediately after being removed from his position at Skolkovo, Dvorkovich published an article praising the Russian military. He has never confirmed whether he was pressured into writing it. A father of three, whose youngest child is 11, he has since divided his time between Riga, Latvia, and Moscow.

However, Putin has openly supported and praised Dvorkovich in his role as FIDE president because chess, and specifically the goal of restoring the world title to Russia, is one of the Russian leader’s sporting priorities, as he made clear in Sochi during the closing ceremony of the Carlsen-Anand world championship match.

When Dvorkovich was elected FIDE president at the Batumi Congress in Georgia in 2018, he stated that he wanted to hold the position for no more than eight years. But his increasingly delicate personal situation led him to seek a second re-election at the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, at the end of next September. The logical conclusion is that Putin’s protection extends to Dvorkovich only as long as he remains president of FIDE.

The Official Journal of the European Union published on Thursday announced new sanctions against 48 individuals and 168 entities for “threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine.” On page 37, it lists the positions held by Dvorkovich, placing particular emphasis on his membership of the board of the Russian Chess Federation, which has been condemned for organizing tournaments in Crimea, a territory occupied by Russia and claimed by Ukraine. The document makes no mention of the circumstances described above.

Dvorkovich responded immediately on Friday with a statement describing the sanctions as “illegal and unjust” and announcing that he would challenge them “by all possible means.” He also delegated his responsibilities as FIDE president to Anand, who until now had served as deputy president.

Contacted by EL PAÍS, Dvorkovich declined to make any further comment. Sources close to him, speaking on condition of anonymity, argued that the sanctions had been “promoted by Ukraine with the support of several European countries, particularly the Baltic states.” They added: “The main objective is to prevent Dvorkovich, who was re-elected with the support of many Western countries, from running again.”

During Dvorkovich’s eight years in office, and especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the chess world has lived with a paradox. A large majority of chess officials from many countries consulted by EL PAÍS since 2018 agree that he is probably the most capable president FIDE has had in its century-long history. Yet they also acknowledge that the mere fact that he is Russian, together with the senior positions he has held, has become a major liability when it comes to attracting strong international sponsorship.

If there is no change in Dvorkovich’s appeal before September, the election campaign promises to be both unusual and highly entertaining. Deeply knowledgeable, experienced, and backed by Kremlin financial support, he remains the favorite for re-election. As things stand, three candidates have officially announced their bids.

German businessman Wadim Rosenstein, 35, the son of a Ukrainian father and Russian mother, has been organizing and financing elite tournaments around the world throughout the year.

Jan Büttner, 61, a German entrepreneur known as an early pioneer of Vodafone, has funded luxury-hotel events for the new freestyle chess format, which is supported by many top players but widely criticized by much of the chess public.

The third candidate is Timur Turlov, a Kazakhstan-based businessman of Russian origin who has been sanctioned by Ukraine. The Russian Chess Federation has stated that it backs Ilyumzhinov, but Dvorkovich opposes his candidacy.

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