A Recap of the FIDE Presidential Debate
By Robby B. · Thu, 10 Sep 2026
A recap on the 2026 FIDE Presidential Debate where Jan Henric Buettner and Timur Turlov showcased their contrasting visions on how to make FIDE more professional, financially sustainable and better equipped to support its member federations.
The race to lead world chess entered the spotlight on September 9 as Chess.com hosted the first live presidential debate of the 2026 FIDE election campaign. Moderated by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, the broadcast was intended to bring all three candidates, Jan Henric Buettner, Timur Turlov and Wadim Rosenstein, together for a direct discussion about the future of the International Chess Federation.Instead, the debate quickly developed an unexpected dynamic. Although all three candidates delivered opening remarks, Wadim Rosenstein only gave his opening speech and did not participate in the remainder of the presidential debate. After Rosenstein disappeared from the broadcast, Chess.com made repeated attempts to reconnect with him, but he did not return. The rest of the approximately 90-minute event therefore became, in practice, a debate between Buettner and Turlov.The debate came at a crucial moment in the campaign. FIDE's member federations are scheduled to elect the next president at the General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 26. Three tickets are contesting the election: Buettner with International Master Malcolm Pein, Rosenstein with Gordon Tang, and Turlov with five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand.Once the discussion moved into policy, Jan Henric Buettner and Timur Turlov presented noticeably different approaches to the presidency.Buettner focused heavily on structural reform. He argued that FIDE should operate more like a modern professional organization, with clearly defined roles for executives such as a CEO and CFO and less day-to-day power concentrated in the president. Turlov instead emphasized his experience building and managing large organizations. He pointed to his background running a publicly traded company with more than 10,000 employees and millions of customers, arguing that those skills could be applied to FIDE.To put it simply, Buettner's pitch was about rebuilding FIDE's structure, while Turlov's was about using his business experience to help the organization grow.Both candidates agreed that FIDE should be generating significantly more money.Buettner set a goal of increasing FIDE's annual commercial revenue to around $50 million, arguing that chess's global audience should be attractive to major international sponsors. He also promised that 20 percent of FIDE's revenue, excluding prize funds, would go directly to national federations. His broader argument was that member federations should be treated as the owners of FIDE and should benefit financially when the organization succeeds.Turlov also called for much larger corporate partnerships and mentioned companies such as Nvidia and Citi as examples of the level of sponsor FIDE should target. A major part of Turlov's plan is expanding FIDE's Development Fund to more than $6 million. He said the money could support tournaments, coach and arbiter training, international travel and chess development in countries with fewer resources.Perhaps the clearest disagreement came over whether the FIDE president should personally provide financial support to the organization.Turlov said he was prepared to act as a financial “backstop” for the federation if necessary. From his perspective, this represented a guarantee of stability. If FIDE encountered financial difficulties or required resources while developing new projects, having a president capable of supporting the organization could prevent those difficulties from disrupting its activities.Buettner strongly disagreed with that model. He argued that major international sports organizations should not need a wealthy president standing behind them financially. He pointed to organizations and businesses such as FIFA and Formula 1 to argue that successful institutions generate revenue through their own commercial operations rather than depending on the personal resources of their leadership.For all their disagreements, Buettner and Turlov shared an important starting point: both argued that FIDE's present resources and commercial reach remain far below what is possible for a sport with chess's global participation and audience.To recap the debate simply:Buettner's presidential program centered on restructuring FIDE into a more independent and professionally managed institution. His vision emphasizes organizational reform, commercial sustainability, direct revenue sharing with federations and building capabilities inside FIDE itself.Turlov's presidency would be centered on rapid expansion through investment, technology, partnerships and professional management. His vision places particular emphasis on development funding, corporate relationships and using the experience gained from running large-scale businesses to accelerate FIDE's growth.The debate therefore presented FIDE's member federations with two different routes toward a broadly similar objective: making the international federation larger, more financially secure and more professionally managed. The question facing delegates in Samarkand is: who do they believe is more likely to deliver it?