Anand named FIDE interim president after EU sanctions sideline Dvorkovich
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich has voluntarily stepped aside after being sanctioned by the European Union over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Deputy President Viswanathan Anand will serve as interim president. Calling the sanctions "unlawful and unfair", he said he would challenge them legally.
The move follows EU measures that targeted Dvorkovich in connection with the conflict in Ukraine. His decision to step aside was announced amid the fallout from those sanctions, and the FIDE deputy presidency will now be occupied on an interim basis by Anand. Separately, India has announced its squads for the upcoming FIDE Chess Olympiad, with D Gukesh and Koneru Humpy named as the leaders of their respective teams.
Arkady Dvorkovich, who held the FIDE presidency, indicated he would pursue a legal response to the EU action. The sanctions from the European Union form the immediate cause cited for his voluntary leave from the post. Officials within the chess body moved to ensure continuity of leadership by activating the established line of succession.
Viswanathan Anand, the deputy president of FIDE and a figure widely known in the chess world, has been installed as interim president to oversee the federation's affairs during Dvorkovich's absence. The appointment places Anand temporarily at the helm of the governing body for international chess until the situation stemming from the sanctions is resolved. FIDE's administrative machinery will operate under his stewardship for the interim period.
In his statement responding to the sanctions, Dvorkovich described them in categorical terms and announced plans to contest the measures through legal channels. "Calling the sanctions "unlawful and unfair", he said he would challenge them legally." That response aligns with his decision to step back from active duties while pursuing remedies to the EU action.
India's chess federation moved forward with team selections for the FIDE Chess Olympiad, naming squads led by D Gukesh on the men's side and Koneru Humpy for the women's team. The announcements set out the players who will represent the country at the Olympiad and establish the leadership for each delegation. Those selections proceeded independently of the governance developments at FIDE.
Anand will carry the responsibilities of the presidency on an interim basis while Dvorkovich seeks legal recourse against the European Union sanctions. At the same time, India prepares its Olympiad contingents under captains D Gukesh and Koneru Humpy, with both matters unfolding in parallel within the international chess landscape.