Rosenstein Sends Open Letter to Malcolm Pein
By Douglas C. · Thu, 17 Sep 2026
Wadim Rosenstein has taken a new approach to the increasingly bitter FIDE campaign: instead of another formal complaint, he published an open letter on social media addressed directly to Malcolm Pein.
Wadim Rosenstein has taken a new approach to the increasingly bitter FIDE campaign: instead of another formal complaint, he published an open letter on social media addressed directly to Malcolm Pein, Jan Henric Buettner's running mate, written in a tone that's part gentle ribbing, part pointed political jab.Calling Out Personal AttacksRosenstein frames the letter around what he calls Pein's "increasingly personal remarks" toward him, while making clear he has no issue with disagreement itself, criticizing his platform, his decisions, his candidacy is simply politics. His actual complaint is about tone, invoking what he calls "a fine old British tradition" of fighting an opponent while remaining a gentleman, and suggesting that tradition has slipped lately. He leans into some German-British historical humor to soften the jab before delivering the letter's real point.Using Charm As a WeaponStripped of the banter, Rosenstein is making a specific political observation: Pein is running on a ticket with Buettner, whose actual rival for the presidency is Turlov, not Rosenstein. So why, Rosenstein asks, does so much of Pein's public fire land on him instead of on Turlov? His phrasing: "It creates a curious chess position... Malcolm, which side of the board are you actually playing on?" He follows it with a mock-serious question about whether "His Majesty the King" is aware Pein "appears to have one foot so enthusiastically against the German candidate, while the other sometimes seems remarkably comfortable in another camp."It's a real insinuation, that Pein's focus on Rosenstein specifically might reflect something closer to an informal alignment with Turlov's camp than genuine three-way competition, but Rosenstein never states it as fact. He frames it explicitly as a question asked "with a smile," and closes by saying he bears Pein no ill will and hopes they can shake hands and have tea once the election is over, regardless of who wins.Fighting BackPein has been one of the more combative figures in this campaign on Buettner's behalf, including publicly alleging "dirty tricks" after their ticket's own Treasurer nominee was denied a visa to the Olympiad. Whether Pein's criticism of Rosenstein reflects genuine strategic calculation, in a three-way race, attacking whichever rival is rising fastest is fairly ordinary politics, or something closer to what Rosenstein is implying, isn't something this letter actually proves either way. What it does show is a shift in tactics: rather than another Electoral Commission filing, Rosenstein is trying to win this particular exchange in public, with wit rather than legal language.The Election Is Getting CloseThe letter closes on a line built for repeating: "Sooner or later, every move reveals its purpose." Whether that's aimed at Pein, at the broader campaign, or simply at how the next ten days play out before the September 26 vote, Rosenstein leaves deliberately open.