The President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich, has decided to suspend his authority as the head of the chess governing body after being sanctioned by the European Union. Five-time world champion GM Viswanathan Anand is taking over as interim president.
[Editor’s note: This story was updated with Dvorkovich’s statement and the official confirmation of the sanctions.]
He shared his decision in a statement on FIDE’s website on Thursday. He described the sanctions as “unlawful and unfair” and said he would challenge them through all available legal means.
Statement by the FIDE President
Today, the EU decision to include my name in the 21st sanctions list was published. I want to state unequivocally that I consider this decision unlawful and unfair, and this decision will be immediately challenged by all possible means. I am… pic.twitter.com/aMJ7et8VIn
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 23, 2026
“However, given that until a formal court decision is rendered and/or such decision is cancelled or amended, these sanctions could hinder the stable functioning of FIDE, I have decided to voluntarily suspend the exercise of my powers and duties as FIDE President with immediate effect,” Dvorkovich added.
The decision appears to bring Dvorkovich’s eight-year tenure as the head of FIDE to an end, although it’s not a formal resignation. The 54-year-old Russian remains FIDE president in name, but has handed over the rights, duties, and authority attached to the office for as long as the sanctions remain in place under EU and Swiss law.
“In accordance with the FIDE Charter, the duties of the President will be assumed by the FIDE Deputy President, the 15th World Champion, Viswanathan Anand,” Dvorkovich said.
Full statement by the FIDE president
Today, the EU decision to include my name in the 21st sanctions list was published. I want to state unequivocally that I consider this decision unlawful and unfair, and this decision will be immediately challenged by all possible means. I am confident that justice will prevail.
However, given that until a formal court decision is rendered and/or such decision is cancelled or amended, these sanctions could hinder the stable functioning of FIDE, I have decided to voluntarily suspend the exercise of my powers and duties as FIDE President with immediate effect and for as long as I remain subject to sanctions under the EU and Swiss laws and regulations. In accordance with the FIDE Charter, the duties of the President will be assumed by the FIDE Deputy President, the 15th World Champion, Viswanathan Anand.
I would like to emphasize that I believe in the FIDE Council and I am confident that the FIDE Council and administration will overcome all challenges and do the utmost to safeguard the continuous work of FIDE, its events and social programs.
Taking into account the statement above, the FIDE Council has decided the following:
The FIDE Council accepts and ratifies the decision of Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich to suspend the exercise of his rights, duties and prerogatives as President of the FIDE. Accordingly, Mr. Dvorkovich will not exercise the responsibilities, duties, rights and prerogatives provided by the FIDE Charter, particularly article 18 of the FIDE Charter, and other regulations as long as the measures provided by the “Ordonnance instituant des mesures en lien avec la situation en Ukraine” and the EU Regulations No 269/2014, are in force. Specifically, Mr. Dvorkovich shall not act in the capacity of “détenteur de contrôle” (“owner, holder or controller”) of FIDE or its assets.
In accordance with article 19.2 of the FIDE Charter, Mr. Anand Viswanathan, Deputy President of FIDE, shall act as Interim President as long as Mr. Dvorkovich is subject to the restrictive measures provided by the Swiss and EU laws and regulations in force.
Dvorkovich’s statement came hours after Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi revealed on Facebook that Dvorkovich had been included in the 21st sanctions package against Russia, alongside Mikhail Degtyarev, Russia’s Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee.
“Arkady Dvorkovich promotes the interests of the Kremlin while holding the position of president of the International Chess Federation,” Bidnyi wrote. “Both of them consistently use their positions to spread the narratives of the aggressor state and legitimize Russia in world sports.”
“The inclusion of them in the EU sanctions list confirms that Kremlin officials and their lobbyists have no place in the civilized sports community. Sports cannot exist separately from international law during a war,” he added.
The FIDE president has previously said publicly he would resign if sanctioned.
Throwback to the moment when @BKouatly asked Arkady Dvorkovich whether he would resign if he were placed on an international sanctions list. pic.twitter.com/XQfYZw2PD9
— Maria Gevorgyan (@GevorgyanMaria) June 10, 2026
The EU’s 21st sanctions package targets Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. EU member states reached an agreement on the package after weeks of negotiations, with a written procedure to complete its formal adoption.
The EU’s official sanctions entry accuses Dvorkovich of using his position as FIDE president to support Russian policies undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It also cites his previous senior roles in the Russian government and notes that the Kremlin had welcomed his 2022 reelection as FIDE president as a “victory” for Moscow. The EU says Dvorkovich had publicly supported the annexation of Crimea and referred to occupied Ukrainian cities as Russia’s “new territories.”
The entry also cites his membership of the Russian Chess Federation’s Board of Trustees, which includes several other EU-sanctioned Russian officials. The EU says the Russian federation had organized tournaments in the occupied regions of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, and describes Dvorkovich as playing a key role on the board.
It concludes that Dvorkovich was supporting “actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”
The 54-year-old, who served as Deputy Prime Minister in Russia from 2012 to 2018, has led FIDE since 2018, when he defeated Georgios Makropoulos 103-78 in the presidential election. He was reelected in 2022, defeating the Baryshpolets-Nielsen ticket with 157 votes against 16. His campaign at the time included a pledge to limit FIDE presidents to two terms, and FIDE declared after his reelection that his second term would be his last. However, delegates voted in 2023 to abolish the restriction, clearing the way for him to seek a third term in 2026.
Dvorkovich had previously avoided EU sanctions after Viktor Orban’s Hungary vetoed proposals to blacklist him. But Orban lost power in April to the more pro-Western Peter Magyar, whose new government did not block Dvorkovich’s inclusion this time.
Once the legal acts come into force, Dvorkovich will be subject to an asset freeze and a ban on entering or transiting through the EU’s 27 member states. EU citizens as well as companies will be prohibited from making funds or economic resources available to him, directly or indirectly.
The restrictions apply to Dvorkovich personally, rather than to FIDE, and do not automatically remove him from office or sanction the chess governing body. However, the practical consequences would be significant given that the Russian citizen will no longer be able to attend tournaments or other official FIDE activities in most of Europe. Dvorkovich could also face sanctions-compliance checks from EU-based federations, organizers, sponsors, and banks.
FIDE has previously rejected the allegations used to justify the proposed sanctions on Dvorkovich. In a response to EU Observer in February, FIDE disputed claims that Dvorkovich had supported Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, or been responsible for organizing chess activities in the Ukrainian territories by Russia. It also said FIDE had neither rated nor recognized tournaments held in the occupied Ukrainian territories during Dvorkovich’s presidency.
Jan Henric Buettner, who is challenging Dvorkovich for the FIDE presidency, said in a statement to Chess.com that he has personal respect for the incumbent. He also argued that the sanctions reinforced the need for FIDE to demonstrate its independence.
Throughout our interactions, I have always found him to be courteous, knowledgeable, and deeply committed to chess. Whatever our differences as candidates in this election, I do not take any satisfaction in personal difficulties faced by anyone.
Whatever our differences as candidates in this election, I do not take any satisfaction in personal difficulties faced by anyone.
—Jan Henric Buettner
The German businessman said the developments highlighted the challenges facing an international federation operating amid increasing geopolitical tensions.
Recent events once again underline how important it is for our federation to be seen as independent, politically neutral, and focused exclusively on serving the global chess community.
Buettner insisted that his campaign was not directed against Dvorkovich personally.
My campaign has never been about personalities. It has always been about strengthening FIDE’s governance, increasing transparency, empowering our 203 member federations, and ensuring that chess remains a bridge between people rather than a reflection of geopolitical divisions.
IM Malcolm Pein, who is running for Deputy President on Buettner’s ticket, also highlighted his personal regard for Dvorkovich, despite being a major critic of FIDE’s leadership.
“I am not celebrating this on a personal level at all,” Pein told Chess.com.
I am not celebrating this on a personal level at all.
—Malcolm Pein
“I have always had an enormous personal regard for Arkady as a chess lover first and foremost and a highly competent leader and administrator. We have always enjoyed an excellent personal relationship, and I hope this will continue,” he added.
However, Pein described the sanctions as inevitable and as a significant victory for Ukraine. “It was notable that the EU allowed the Ukrainians to make the announcement,” he said. “It’s another blow to Russia and, in its own small way, I hope will contribute to ending the war as Russia sees its sphere of influence diminishing.”
Pein also linked the decision directly to the presidential campaign. “If mine and Jan Buettner’s campaign in FIDE is successful and there is a president without Russian links or business interests, FIDE has a bright future,” he said.
Two days before the sanctions were announced, Dvorkovich told the state-controlled Russian news agency Tass that he was preparing to formally enter the presidential race and was awaiting confirmation from several federations willing to nominate him.
“The process has taken this long solely because of the risks associated with the 21st sanctions package,” he said on Tuesday. “We had information that my name was included in some proposals. Therefore, we decided that while there was still a possibility, we should wait to avoid a false start.”
The process has taken this long solely because of the risks associated with the 21st sanctions package.
—Arkady Dvorkovich
Wadim Rosenstein, the other candidate in the FIDE presidential election, did not immediately respond to Chess.com’s request for comment. The election takes place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, at the end of September, and sanctions on Dvorkovich, as well as the consequences for FIDE, are now likely to become a central issue in the campaign.
Curiously, this is not the first time FIDE has faced a similar crisis. In 2015, then President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov stepped down after he was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Justice for “providing support to the government of Syria.”
The controversial Russian, who recently announced a surprising run in the 2026 FIDE Election, was then replaced by Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos. Anand, the current Deputy President of FIDE, will now take over the position as the head of the organization in the months leading up to the election.
Dvorkovich now joins GM Sergey Karjakin and GM Anatoly Karpov in being sanctioned by the European Union. Karjakin, who challenged GM Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship title in 2016, was added to the EU’s sanctions list in February last year, after becoming a member of Russia’s Federation Council representing illegally annexed Crimea. The 36-year-old has also actively supported the war, and paid several visits to Russia’s armed forces. Former World Champion Karpov was targeted as a member of Russia’s State Duma for voting in favor of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Dvorkovich recently appeared with Karpov during an event in Moscow.
Yesterday FIDE President Dvorkovich 🇷🇺 gave a lecture together with Karpov in Moscow, at the chess Federation of Russia 🇷🇺.
Karpov is sanctioned by the EU, and the Chess Federation of Russia 🇷🇺 suspended by FIDE pic.twitter.com/9YFlniz5mS
— Peter Heine Nielsen (@PHChess) July 15, 2026
The nomination deadline in the election is July 26, which means that Dvorkovich’s ticket would have to decide whether Timur Turlov, his candidate for Deputy President, should replace him as the presidential candidate.