Turlov outlines $7mn chess support plan in FIDE presidency bid

Timur Turlov has proposed a $7 million programme to support chess tournaments, travel, and coaching if he is elected FIDE president. He also wants a two-year competition calendar to reduce the need for last-minute sponsorship decisions.

Turlov, speaking during the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, estimated the proposed support at €6.2 million, or about $7 million, according to Kursiv Uzbekistan.

The president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation stated that the programme would help fund open tournaments, subsidise travel, and provide young players with more coaching opportunities. He stated that national federations should have access to support regardless of their location or status.

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A calendar sponsors can plan around

Turlov said FIDE needed a four-year development budget and enough financial certainty to fix its calendar two years ahead. Reliance on late sponsorship decisions, he argued, also made it harder to attract major commercial partners.

His first 100 days would include recruiting staff and providing more resources for software development, communications and marketing.

«We will definitely start to hire people,» he said, promising clearer communication and more transparent governance.

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He acknowledged the current administration’s achievements and said stronger funding would help existing FIDE professionals deliver more. He also cautioned that substantial improvements would take time. «But we have to be patient,» Turlov noted.

The presidential election is scheduled for 26 September in Samarkand. Turlov is running alongside Viswanathan Anand, against tickets led by Jan Henric Buettner and Wadim Rosenstein.