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Chess leadership race reaches endgame Arkady Dvorkovich: Russian politician crowned world chess head
(about 17 hours later)
The World Chess Federation, (Fide), will elect a new leader on Wednesday, after a tense election campaign. The World Chess Federation (Fide) has a new king - Arkady Dvorkovich, the former deputy prime minister of Russia.
Three would-be kings are battling it out to become the next head of chess's world governing body. Mr Dvorkovich outmanoeuvred his opponents in the three-way vote on Wednesday after a fiercely contested election.
It's been a game of intense strategy and calculated moves, marred by accusations of corruption and political meddling. He is taking over from fellow Russian Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, ousted in July.
The winner will be decided at a ceremony in Batumi, Georgia, at 11:00 local time (07:00 GMT). Mr Dvorkovich was crowned after British chess grandmaster Nigel Short broke a lengthy stalemate by withdrawing his candidacy.
The Russian candidate then defeated the only remaining candidate, current deputy president Georgios Makropoulos, by 103 votes to 78.
He becomes the first new president since 1995.
His predecessor, Mr Ilyumzhinov, was forced out over the summer amid allegations of facilitating transactions with the Syrian government - something which landed him with US sanctions, and briefly froze the federations's bank accounts.
He denies any wrongdoing - but the affair cast a long shadow over the election, which was marred by accusations of corruption and political meddling.
The playersThe players
The race is a three-way contest in which 185 Fide national delegates will decide the winner at the international congress in Georgia. Arkady Dvorkovich has both political and chess credentials.
Georgios Makropoulos is the Greek current deputy president of Fide. But he has a problem - how to distance himself from former president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who he served under. Until May 2018, he served as Russian deputy prime minister and is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Chess Federation. More recently, he was one of the chief organisers of the Fifa World Cup.
Mr Ilyumzhinov has been sanctioned by the US for allegedly facilitating transactions on behalf of the Syrian government, though he denies any wrongdoing. His main opponent was widely seen as Georgios Makropoulos, the Greek deputy president of Fide. Mr Makropoulos struggled to distance himself from former president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who he served under.
England's Nigel Short is best known for an unsuccessful challenge against Russia's world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1993.England's Nigel Short is best known for an unsuccessful challenge against Russia's world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1993.
He has vowed to stamp out corruption and is a long-time critic of Fide leadership. But in 2015, he angered women chess players when he suggested women were not suited to the game. He has vowed to stamp out corruption and is a long-time critic of Fide leadership - but in 2015, he angered women chess players when he suggested women were not suited to the game.
Arkady Dvorkovich has both political and chess credentials. Until May 2018, he served as Russian deputy prime minister and is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Chess Federation. More recently, he was one of the chief organisers of the Fifa World Cup. Addressing the delegates, he complained of mismanagement and "an open culture of bullying", chess news site Chess.com reports.
Mr Makropoulos and Mr Dvorkovich are the front-runners in what's likely to be a very close race. Mid-speech, he stopped the clock, dramatically announcing his resignation from the race and his support for Mr Dvorkovich.
The game plans A Russian pawn?
The Times newspaper reports that Russia has been manoeuvring behind the scenes to win votes for Mr Dvorkovich. Russia dismisses the claims as "lies and inconsistencies", accusing Mr Makropolous of being behind them. Mr Dvorkovich's candidacy was not without controversy - particularly given his high standing in Russian political circles.
In a BBC interview in September, Mr Dvorkovich said the Kremlin had "not been provided with any evidence" that two Russian agents had carried out the poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in southern England. The English Chess Federation felt that was a wrong move. The Times newspaper reports that Russia has been manoeuvring behind the scenes to win votes for Mr Dvorkovich. Russia dismissed the claims as "lies and inconsistencies", and accused Mr Makropolous of being behind them.
It released a statement backing Mr Makropoulos, saying Mr Short's campaign had "little traction". In a BBC interview in September, Mr Dvorkovich said the Kremlin had "not been provided with any evidence" that two Russian agents had carried out the poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in southern England.
Mr Short said the process had been "rigged", but then announced his support for Mr Dvorkovich, arguing his views on the Skripals had nothing to do with his ability to root out corruption in chess. The English Chess Federation felt that was the wrong play, and released a statement backing Mr Makropoulos, saying Mr Short's campaign had "little traction".
Mr Short, says the Financial Times, might be playing a long game. He's not likely to secure enough votes this time round, but could be running to boost his profile before the next election in 2022. Mr Short, however, was unmoved. He said the process had been "rigged", but expressed support for Mr Dvorkovich before the vote, arguing his views on the Skripals had nothing to do with his ability to root out corruption in chess.
The next moves Mr Short, says the Financial Times, might be playing a long game. He was not likely to secure enough votes this time round, but could have run to boost his profile before the next election in 2022.
Neither candidate is expected to secure enough votes to be declared the winner in the first round, so there is likely to be a second before a new leader is elected, says Peter Doggers of Chess.com. The next move
The new president of Fide will get to decide who stages tournaments and how money is spent. But whoever wins, they're unlikely to be as colourful as Mr Ilyumzhinov, who once claimed on television to have met aliens on board a spaceship.The new president of Fide will get to decide who stages tournaments and how money is spent. But whoever wins, they're unlikely to be as colourful as Mr Ilyumzhinov, who once claimed on television to have met aliens on board a spaceship.
In addition to his alleged dealings with the Syrian government, he was president of the Republic of Kalmykia, a small Buddhist region of Russia which lies on the shores of the Caspian Sea, for 17 years.In addition to his alleged dealings with the Syrian government, he was president of the Republic of Kalmykia, a small Buddhist region of Russia which lies on the shores of the Caspian Sea, for 17 years.
A chequered past, you might say.A chequered past, you might say.