Russian-born Kazakhstani billionaire Timur Turlov is the new president of world chess. His election has divided Ukrainian officials, and Russia has abruptly dropped its case against him.

Russian-born Kazakhstani billionaire Timur Turlov elected as new president of world chess, sparking controversy in Ukraine and Russia.

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The election of Timur Turlov as the new president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has sparked a political scandal in Ukraine. Ukraine’s national chess federation criticized the choice of Turlov, a Kazakhstani businessman who lived and did business in Russia for many years.

According to Meduza, Ukrainian journalist Konstantin Skorkin explains that many international sports federations readily recruit influential businesspeople and politicians to lead them, using their connections to secure support and funding for their sports. For example, Sebastian Coe, a former member of Britain’s House of Lords, heads the International Association of Athletics Federations; Swedish billionaire Johan Eliasch leads the International Ski and Snowboard Federation; and French politician David Lappartient heads the International Cycling Union.

The chess world has been home to a particularly large number of influential Russians. From 1995 to 2018, FIDE was headed by Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who was president of the republic of Kalmykia when he was elected. Ilyumzhinov sought to make Elista, which hosted international chess tournaments, a global center for chess.

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office withdrew its lawsuit seeking to seize Turlov’s income for the Russian state, a week after his election as FIDE president. This move has been seen as a significant development in the controversy surrounding Turlov’s appointment.