Wadim Rosenstein and the FIDE Presidential Election 2026: Why the Samarkand Vote Has Become a Test of Electoral Rules

  

The 2026 FIDE presidential election was expected to focus on the future direction of international chess. Instead, the final weeks before the vote have increasingly centered on a different question: whether the election process itself can guarantee equal participation for all eligible voters.

A dispute over visas for several delegates traveling to Uzbekistan has created uncertainty ahead of the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand, where the next president of the International Chess Federation will be elected.

The issue has also brought renewed attention to presidential candidate Wadim Rosenstein, whose position on how FIDE should respond differs from the approach outlined by the federation’s leadership.

According to the FIDE Council statement on visa issues, the organization considers the ability of all eligible participants to attend and vote a key condition for holding the congress.

A presidential race decided by federation votes

The FIDE Presidential Election 2026 is scheduled for September 26 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Three candidate teams are participating in the race:

• Wadim Rosenstein with Gordon Tang;

• Timur Turlov with five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand;

• Jan Henric Buettner with Malcolm Pein.

The official candidate list was published by FIDE:

Three Presidential Tickets Submitted Ahead of 2026 Elections

Unlike some international organizations where voting power may depend on rankings or other factors, FIDE’s General Assembly operates on a federation-based system.

Each member federation represented at the congress receives one vote.

This makes the presence of every voting delegate important, especially in a closely contested presidential election.

Why the visa issue matters before the FIDE Congress

On September 16, FIDE confirmed that some congress participants had not yet obtained visas required to enter Uzbekistan.

The organization stated that the affected group included delegates with voting rights, as well as FIDE Council member Benard Wanjala.

FIDE explained that the congress should only proceed if all people entitled to participate and vote are able to exercise those rights.

If this cannot be guaranteed, the federation said alternative arrangements, including another location or date, could be considered.

Source:
FIDE Council statement, September 16, 2026

The issue was also discussed by members of the chess community. World Chess reported on several individual visa cases and highlighted concerns about delegates who were still waiting for approval to travel.

Source:
World Chess — Could Someone Please Get the Electorate a Visa

At the same time, there is no publicly available evidence showing that visa decisions were connected to the preferences of any presidential candidate.

The central question remains procedural: whether all eligible voters will be able to participate.

Rosenstein’s argument: solve the problem without moving the election

Wadim Rosenstein responded to the discussion with a statement titled:

“FIDE MUST NOT DISRUPT THE ELECTION PROCESS.”

In the statement, Rosenstein argued that Uzbekistan should not be blamed for organizational difficulties and that the solution should focus on resolving problems inside FIDE rather than relocating the congress.

“The solution is not to move the problem from Samarkand. The solution is to fix the problem within FIDE,” he wrote.

Source:
Wadim Rosenstein’s official X account

His position created a debate over the best procedural response.

FIDE’s Council stated that relocation could be considered if voting rights could not be guaranteed. Rosenstein argued that changing the location shortly before the election could create additional disruption.

The discussion has focused on election administration rather than on claims about candidate intentions.

The WR Events sponsorship dispute

The visa controversy emerged after another issue involving Rosenstein and the German Chess Federation (Deutscher Schachbund).

In May 2026, the federation appointed Rosenstein as its delegate to FIDE, giving him a role in meetings of the international chess organization.

Source:
German Chess Federation — Wadim Rosenstein appointed DSB FIDE delegate

In August, the German Chess Federation announced a sponsorship agreement with WR Events and Rosenstein.

The federation said the partnership supported projects connected with women’s chess, inclusion and youth development.

Source:
German Chess Federation — WR Events sponsorship announcement

The ticket of Timur Turlov and Viswanathan Anand later filed a complaint concerning the sponsorship agreement.

The complaint included allegations of electoral misconduct and improper influence and requested measures against Rosenstein and the German federation.

The matter was reviewed by the FIDE Electoral Commission.

According to the FIDE Electoral Commission Report dated September 5, 2026, the requests to exclude Rosenstein from the presidential election and remove Germany’s voting participation were not admissible under the rules cited.

The commission also stated that possible ethics-related questions belonged to the jurisdiction of the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission.

Rosenstein and the German Chess Federation rejected the allegations, describing the sponsorship agreement as a normal commercial partnership unrelated to election decisions.

New questions about previous business activities

In September, another topic entered public discussion after Ukrainian MP Oleg Dunda requested that officials review questions related to Rosenstein’s previous business activities and possible sanctions compliance.

According to EU Reporter, the request concerned Rosenstein, WR Group Holding and Russian company LLC WR Rus.

However, the existence of such a request does not represent a legal finding.

A request for authorities to examine information does not by itself establish that sanctions rules were violated.

Rosenstein has previously discussed his business history in Russia.

In an interview with Reuters, he said that WR Group had carried out logistics, certification and other activities in Russia in the past, including projects related to the oil and gas sector, but that those operations ended after sanctions were introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Source:
Reuters interview with Wadim Rosenstein

The final question before Samarkand

As the FIDE Presidential Election 2026 approaches, the focus has expanded beyond the candidates’ visions for the future of chess.

The election has become a discussion about participation rights, voting procedures and how international organizations should respond when logistical problems affect delegates.

Wadim Rosenstein supports maintaining the planned election process in Samarkand while resolving practical issues.

FIDE has stated that alternative arrangements remain possible if equal participation cannot be ensured.

At present, publicly available information does not establish that Rosenstein influenced visa decisions or that visa problems were intentionally created to affect the election.

The outcome of the remaining visa cases will determine whether the issue remains a logistical challenge or becomes one of the defining procedural moments of the 2026 FIDE presidential race.