Buettner and Pein deny backroom deal that would prop up Turlov.
The FIDE presidential election in Samarkand has turned into a game of political chess, and two major candidates just went public with a rebuttal. Jan Henric Buettner and Malcolm Pein issued a joint statement denying rumors that their campaign harbors a hidden agenda: block Wadim Rosenstein at all costs, then pivot to backing Timur Turlov in a second round if their own ticket stumbles.
The whispers were specific. Delegates in Samarkand believed Buettner and Pein had already cut a deal with Turlov. The arrangement would work like this. If neither Buettner-Pein nor Rosenstein crossed the finish line in round one, they would throw their support to Turlov in round two. In exchange, they would secure positions in a Turlov administration.
Neither candidate was having it. "Neither of us has agreed to deliver support or votes to Timur Turlov in any subsequent round," their statement reads. "Neither of us has been promised or accepted a position in a future Turlov administration." The language is unambiguous. No hedging. No careful diplomacy. They're saying flatly that the rumor is false.
This matters because it cuts to the heart of how this race works structurally. FIDE elections often go multiple rounds if no candidate secures a majority on the first ballot. The candidate pool narrows. Deals get made. Alliances shift. Buettner and Pein are essentially arguing that they're not playing that game, at least not with Turlov.
The irony is thick. By denying a deal with Turlov, they're implicitly confirming what the rumor already suggested: that their campaign views blocking Rosenstein as a legitimate priority. You don't issue a fiery denial about something nobody cares about. The timing and temperature of the statement itself tells you the speculation has real traction.
What happens next depends on the first-round tally. If Buettner-Pein finishes ahead, the question evaporates. If they land third and face elimination, their actual behavior will matter far more than their words today. Political promises in contested elections are cheap. Follow-through is what delegates remember.
The FIDE presidency race remains wide open. Three serious candidates. No consensus frontrunner. And now, on record, Buettner and Pein have publicly staked their credibility on one specific claim: Turlov is not their backup plan. Watch the first ballot. That's where the story actually tells itself.