It’s checkmate as Putin deputy wins chess war

THE World Chess Federation yesterday elected a new leader, bringing to an end the colourful two-decade rule of a Russian politician who claims he was abducted by aliens.

Arkady Dvorkovich, Moscow’s preferred candidate, was installed as the new head of the organisation, known as Fide, after delegates from 182 nations voted at its congress in the Georgian resort of Batumi. Mr Dvorkovich, the chief organiser of football’s Fifa World Cup, replaces Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the eccentric businessman turned politician.

Mr Dvorkovich’s triumph followed a dramatic lastminute withdrawal by English grandmaster Nigel Short, who instead declared his support for the Russian.

Mr Short, who styled himself as the anti-corruption candidate, said Mr Ilyumzhinov had “brought Fide to the brink of oblivion” and that the organisation’s “culture of bullying must stop”.

“United [with Mr Dvorkovich], we make a great team,” the former world title challenger added.

Mr Short, a long-time critic of Fide, justified his decision to back Mr Dvorkovich by saying: “We realised we wouldn’t win, and change is the main priority.”

Mr Dvorkovich, 46, served as Russia’s deputy prime minister for six years under President Vladimir Putin until May.

In July, Mr Putin publicly predicted Mr Dvorkovich would win the vote and wished him success. Mr Ilyumzhinov dropped out earlier in the race after it became clear he could not win.

The campaign was increasingly bitter in the final weeks with allegations flying about corruption, the buying of votes, and undue influence being placed on national federations.

For 17 years, Mr Ilyumzhinov was president of the Republic of Kalmykia, a small Buddhist region of Russia that lies on the shores of the Caspian Sea. His first decree was to make chess compulsory in schools, and he spent tens of millions of dollars turning the impoverished republic into a mecca for chess players.

In 1997, Mr Ilyumzhinov claimed he was abducted by aliens in yellow space suits who returned him to Earth with a mission to bring chess to the people.