Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has unfinished business with FIDE's leadership structure, and he's using it to hammer Timur Turlov. The former FIDE president declared flatly that Turlov had no right to be elected to the position Turlov currently holds, grouping him with Arkady Dvorkovich in violating the same 2022 Council rule that temporarily removed Dvorkovich from office for five weeks this summer.
The rule in question stems from FIDE's post-2022 response to geopolitical circumstances. Ilyumzhinov, who led FIDE for 20 years before stepping down in 2018, is invoking governance standards that have become a flashpoint in how the federation selects its presidents. When asked whether the Court of Arbitration for Sport might annul Turlov's election on these grounds, Ilyumzhinov didn't equivocate: "I definitely think so."
This matters because FIDE's presidency isn't a ceremonial role. The federation controls world championship cycles, rating systems, rule enforcement, and rating title qualifications. A contested presidency creates operational paralysis. Dvorkovich's suspension earlier this year already created weeks of limbo about how FIDE's functions would continue. Another annulment would repeat that damage.
Turlov's path to the presidency wasn't smooth. He arrived as an outsider to FIDE's traditional power structure, backed by a coalition that saw him as a reformer capable of modernizing the federation's business operations. His campaign emphasized transparency and professionalization. Critics, including Ilyumzhinov, argue he sidestepped established rules to get there.
The specific 2022 provision that both Dvorkovich and Turlov allegedly violated relates to eligibility standards created in response to sanctions imposed against Russian chess figures and international pressures following 2022's invasion. The rule was designed to prevent certain individuals from holding FIDE office. Whether it applies to Turlov remains contested, but Ilyumzhinov's assertion that CAS might intervene suggests the legal challenge isn't finished.
Ilyumzhinov's involvement here is particularly loaded. His two decades running FIDE were marked by both modernization and allegations of financial mismanagement. He oversaw the federation's growth but also faced criticism for nepotism and unclear spending. His removal of Dvorkovich suggests he sees the 2022 rule as legitimate governance. Yet his current opposition to Turlov also smells like internecine political warfare.
What happens next depends on whether someone files a formal challenge with CAS. If they do, Turlov could face the same suspension Dvorkovich endured, throwing FIDE into administrative chaos again just as the federation works to stabilize after years of leadership turnover. The world championship cycle, already complicated by scheduling demands, can't afford another presidency crisis.