Romania's Chess Federation Formally Endorses Rosenstein for FIDE President
By Douglas C. · Tue, 15 Sep 2026
The Romanian Chess Federation has thrown its official backing behind Wadim Rosenstein's FIDE presidential ticket, in a signed statement of support dated September 15 from Bucharest, published by Rosenstein on X with a simple "Thank you, Romania."
The Romanian Chess Federation has thrown its official backing behind Wadim Rosenstein's FIDE presidential ticket, in a signed statement of support dated September 15 from Bucharest, published by Rosenstein on X with a simple "Thank you, Romania."What the letter saysSigned by federation president Vlad Ardeleanu, the statement says the federation carefully weighed the candidates' programs and their views on FIDE's future before deciding to back Rosenstein. Two reasons stood out in the letter itself: the federation's approval of the team Rosenstein has assembled, described as "professional and respected individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives," and its view that his platform includes initiatives genuinely worth supporting for international chess's development. The letter closes by wishing Rosenstein and his team success in the upcoming election.Why this fits a patternThis is exactly the kind of endorsement that's defined Rosenstein's campaign in recent weeks, a formal federation letter, publicized promptly and directly. Earlier tracking by WorldChess had already put him ahead of both rivals in publicly identifiable federation support, 12 federations on record for Rosenstein against nine for Turlov and eight for Buettner, and Rosenstein has said openly that he makes a point of publicizing each new endorsement as it comes in, arguing federations backing him deserve public acknowledgment. Romania becomes the latest addition to that visible total.The timingThe endorsement lands on the same day the 46th Chess Olympiad officially opens in Samarkand, with the FIDE presidential vote now just eleven days away at the General Assembly on September 26 and 27. With the Electoral Commission's eligibility rulings on the various complaints between the three tickets still not publicly resolved, every new federation endorsement between now and the vote carries a bit more weight than it might have earlier in the campaign.Loading tweet…
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