The 2026 FIDE presidential election has entered its final stage under growing attention from the international chess community.

Just days before the General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, a visa dispute involving several delegates has created uncertainty around the voting process. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has warned that the congress could potentially be relocated if all eligible participants are unable to exercise their voting rights.

The situation has also drawn attention to the positions of presidential candidate Wadim Rosenstein and the other two electoral teams competing for the leadership of world chess.

Three candidates, one vote per federation

The FIDE presidential election is scheduled for September 26, 2026, during the General Assembly in Samarkand.

According to FIDE’s electoral system, every member federation represented at the General Assembly receives one vote. Unlike some international organizations where voting power may depend on membership size or other factors, FIDE elections are based on equal voting rights for participating federations.

Three presidential tickets were approved for the election:

• Jan Henric Buettner with Malcolm Pein;
• Wadim Rosenstein with Gordon Tang;
• Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and founder of Freedom Holding Corp., with five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.

Source: FIDE — Three Presidential Tickets Submitted Ahead of 2026 Elections

Because every federation has a single vote, the ability of delegates to attend the General Assembly becomes a significant procedural issue.

Visa problems become part of the election debate

On September 16, FIDE confirmed that several participants of the Congress had not yet received visas required to enter Uzbekistan.

Among those affected were voting delegates as well as FIDE Council member Benard Wanjala. The federation stated that the electoral process must take place under conditions where all individuals entitled to participate and vote can exercise those rights.

FIDE added that if such conditions could not be guaranteed, the organization would consider alternative arrangements, including moving the Congress to another location or date.

Source: Official FIDE Council statement, September 16, 2026

Additional reports from the chess community highlighted individual cases involving delegates from different federations. World Chess, for example, reported on visa difficulties affecting representatives, including a delegate from Eswatini.

Sources:

World Chess — Could Someone Please Get the Electorate a Visa

Buettner–Pein campaign statement on delegate visas

At the same time, there is no publicly established evidence that visa decisions were made to benefit or disadvantage any particular candidate. The confirmed issue concerns access to the electoral process and the ability of some delegates to reach the host country.

Rosenstein’s position: keep the election in Samarkand

The visa dispute also brought renewed attention to Wadim Rosenstein’s response.

In a public statement titled “FIDE MUST NOT DISRUPT THE ELECTION PROCESS,” Rosenstein argued that the solution should not be relocating the election from Uzbekistan.

He defended Samarkand as a suitable host city for international events and stated that the focus should remain on resolving organizational issues while preserving the existing electoral process.

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

Primary source: Wadim Rosenstein’s public X account

The position created a procedural discussion because FIDE had emphasized the importance of guaranteed voting rights, while Rosenstein argued that changing the location could itself create disruption.

World Chess later discussed this disagreement and questioned how equal participation could be ensured if some accredited delegates were unable to enter the country. However, interpretations regarding possible electoral motives remain commentary rather than established facts.

Sponsorship controversy involving WR Events and the German Chess Federation

The visa discussion followed another controversy involving Rosenstein and the German Chess Federation (Deutscher Schachbund, DSB).

In May 2026, the federation appointed Rosenstein as its delegate to FIDE. The DSB described the appointment as a sports-political decision and noted that the delegate position includes participation and voting rights within FIDE structures.

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

Later, on August 19, the DSB announced a sponsorship agreement with WR Events and Rosenstein. According to the federation, the partnership supported areas including women’s chess, inclusion programs and youth development.

Source: German Chess Federation — WR Events sponsorship announcement

On August 28, Timur Turlov and Viswanathan Anand submitted a complaint against Rosenstein and the German Chess Federation. The complaint alleged possible electoral misconduct connected with the sponsorship agreement and requested measures including Rosenstein’s exclusion from the presidential candidate list.

These allegations were reviewed in the FIDE Electoral Commission report dated September 5, 2026.

Primary source: FIDE Electoral Commission Report — September 5, 2026

Rosenstein and the German Chess Federation rejected the allegations, stating that the sponsorship represented a legitimate commercial relationship and was not connected with voting decisions.

The Electoral Commission did not remove Rosenstein from the election or exclude Germany from participation. The commission stated that requests for such measures were not admissible under the cited rules.

Questions about Russia-linked business activity

Another issue entered the election discussion in September after Ukrainian MP Oleg Dunda requested reviews concerning Rosenstein’s business activities and possible sanctions-related concerns.

According to EU Reporter, the request involved Rosenstein, WR Group Holding and the Russian company LLC WR Rus. The publication reported that officials were asked to examine whether sanctions regulations may have been violated.

Source: EU Reporter — FIDE presidential race faces new scrutiny over Wadim Rosenstein's Russia-linked business

A request for authorities to conduct a review does not itself establish a violation of sanctions legislation or represent a final finding of wrongdoing.

Rosenstein has separately discussed his previous business activities in Russia. In an interview with Reuters, he said WR Group had previously operated in areas including logistics and certification, but that relevant activities were discontinued after sanctions were introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Source: Reuters interview with Wadim Rosenstein, September 18, 2026

The final days before the FIDE vote

As the September 26 election approaches, the discussion around FIDE’s presidential race extends beyond candidate programs and future plans.

The organization must also address a procedural question: whether every eligible federation will have the opportunity to participate and vote.

Rosenstein argues that the election process should continue in Samarkand and that organizational issues should be resolved without relocation.

FIDE has stated that relocation remains an option if voting rights cannot be guaranteed.

The available public information confirms the existence of the visa dispute and the differing positions regarding how it should be handled. It does not establish that any candidate was responsible for visa decisions or that the issue was deliberately created to influence the election.

The resolution of the remaining visa cases may determine whether the controversy remains a logistical challenge or becomes one of the defining procedural issues of the 2026 FIDE presidential election.