Zelenskyy adviser agrees to join Timur Turlov’s FIDE team
Timur Turlov, a candidate for president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), has invited Ukrainian representatives to join his future team. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, accepted the offer and said he was prepared to personally join Turlov’s FIDE leadership team as a vice president if Turlov wins the election.
Invitation to Ukraine
Freedom Holding Corp. CEO Timur Turlov published an open letter to Mykhailo Podolyak on X. He emphasized the importance of direct Ukrainian representation in the leadership of the global sports organization and proposed that Ukraine nominate a candidate for vice president.
«Ukraine is one of the world’s great chess nations. Its remarkable tradition has produced generations of outstanding players and coaches. Even during an extraordinarily difficult time for the country, Ukrainian chess has remained strong and respected internationally,» Turlov said.
He emphasized that FIDE is a global organization and cannot operate in isolation from what is happening in the world. Turlov also said that the Ukrainian chess community should have a voice in discussions and decisions on key issues.
Podolyak’s position
Podolyak confirmed that he had recently held preliminary talks with Turlov and accepted the proposal.
«Yes, absolutely; I am deeply interested in seeing international federations move past intrigue and politics. I want them to focus instead on returning to their fundamental goals: promoting humanism and determination, and achieving leadership through fair, direct competition,» Podolyak wrote on X.
He added that he supports the Kazakhstani entrepreneur’s vision for reform and emphasized his commitment to ensuring that Ukraine’s voice is heard regularly and clearly in international sports.
The election for the next FIDE president is scheduled for Sept. 26 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. An online debate among the presidential candidates took place earlier this month. During the debate, Turlov announced plans to create a special fund and invest more than $6 million in chess development to support smaller federations around the world. He has also highlighted Samarkand’s growing role as an international chess hub. Turlov’s rival, Wadim Rosenstein, left the presidential debate shortly after delivering his opening statement and did not return to the broadcast.
