Close Menu
Darelasisi OnlineDarelasisi Online
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Top News
  • News
  • Politics
  • Short Stories
  • Entertainments
  • Technology
  • Adverts Rates
  • Contact Us

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

President Trump Warns Elon Musk Of ‘Serious Consequences’ If He Funds Democrats

June 10, 2025

Singer Doechii Attacks Donald Trump For ICE Raids While Accepting Her BET Award

June 10, 2025

Who Leads Yorubaland? Ooni And Alaafin’s Supremacy Reignites

May 9, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Darelasisi OnlineDarelasisi Online
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Top News
  • News
  • Politics
  • Short Stories
  • Entertainments
  • Technology
  • Adverts Rates
  • Contact Us
Darelasisi OnlineDarelasisi Online
Home»News»BREAKING NEWS : Dvorkovich Elected FIDE President
News

BREAKING NEWS : Dvorkovich Elected FIDE President

October 4, 20181 Views
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
BREAKING: Dvorkovich Elected FIDE President

Dvorkovich (right) defeated Makropoulos, who was involved in FIDE since the 1980s. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

By PeterDoggers

 

Arkady Dvorkovich has been elected FID president for the coming four years at the World Chess Federation’s General Assembly in Batumi, Georgia. He defeated Georgios Makropoulos with 103 votes to 78 after Nigel Short withdrew his candidacy at the last minute.

The FIDE presidential elections took place in the Sheraton Batumi hotel in Georgia, where over 160 delegates had gathered for FIDE’s general assembly. First, all three candidates were given the opportunity to present their tickets and their plans to the assembly.

FIDE delegates

The 89th FIDE general assembly in Batumi today. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

A drawing of lots had given Dvorkovich the starting number. International arbiter Carol Jarecki, who had been appointed as the chairperson of the scrutiny committee, accidentally introduced him as ‘grandmaster'” Dvorkovich. His team does include three GMs.

Reading from an iPad, Dvorkovich started by saying he wants to eliminate proxy voting, and plans to build “a professional, efficient and transparent institution.”

His message included a strive for strong management, long-term funding via corporate sponsors, cutting fees to FIDE, reviewing expenses, supporting commissions, and fixing imbalances with a team of experienced professionals.

Last, Dvorkovich promised an annual budget of 3 million euros for developing countries, and a 5-million-euro total budget.

Dvorkovich speech

Dvorkovich laying out his plans for the future. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Dvorkovich didn’t hide his excitement as walked away, and first shook hands with his ticket members, and the other two candidates before sitting down.

Nigel Short started by reminding everyone of Ilyumzhinov’s fake promises in his speech four years ago. Short spoke of an “enormous potential” of chess that’s being wasted, and noted that 92 percent of FIDE’s revenue comes from the chess community. “You’re being milked by a very poor administration. It’s “Makroeconomics.”

Continuing in a determined manner, Short also strongly criticized the extension of the Agon contract, the travel expenses, and the lack of transparency around bank situation, calling it a “mismanagement on a gross scale.” He also spoke of an “open culture of bullying.”

Nigel Short speech

Nigel Short giving his speech. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

And then, he dropped a small bomb. Short announced his withdrawal from the race, and his support for Dvorkovich.

Short mentioned the “many common goals,” and noted Dvorkovich’s involvement in the organization of the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He finished his speech with the remark “United, and not Liverpool,” which was a pun towards Malcolm Pein, on Makropoulos’s ticket and an avid Liverpool supporter.

Short’s withdrawal did not come as a total surprise to insiders, taking into account his modest campaign, and his openly siding with Dvorkovich the last few weeks.

Nonetheless, Short told Chess.com that the decision was made only a day before:

“We had a meeting yesterday morning,” said Short. “Not everybody was of the same opinion immediately, but we reached a consensus. A lot of people are in favor of change, and we know that many wanted to vote for me in the first round, and Arkady in the second. The slight danger there is: if I get too many votes. Psychologically it looks different after the first ballot. It’s basically an anti-Makro move.”

Meanwhile @nigelshortchess is being interviewed on his withdrawal. “We realized we wouldn’t win, and change is the main priority.” Plans on lunch and a few glasses of wine. pic.twitter.com/XhtbXR17P2

— ChesscomNews ( @ChesscomNews) October 3, 2018

Short explained that during the campaign period they met more than once, and discovered that their ideas are very similar. Besides, he doesn’t have anti-Russian sentiments as strong as others—note that the English Chess Federation voted for Makropoulos partly because of the Skripal case.

Short: “Look, Russia is probably not my favorite country in the world, but we’ve had a Russian president [Ilyumzhinov –PD] for 23 years. Of more concern to me is the cronyism, and I could use another word beginning with ‘c,’ of the current administration. They’re absolutely hopeless, and nasty.”

Nigel Short General Assembly FIDE

Also at other moments, Short addressed the FIDE leaders. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Georgios Makropoulos was the last to give his speech, and it lacked punch. He started by stating that he wouldn’t reply to Short, but did so anyway. He called Short’s withdrawal “dishonest” and summed up achievements in the past such as organizing Olympiads back in the 1980s.

Whatever one thinks about the 65-year-old Greek, it’s clear that he has dedicated his life to chess. “Of the three candidates, I am the only one who knows what the federations need” he said. He pleaded for “dignity and stability in the FIDE family,” but with less energy than usual.

Georgios Makropoulos speech

Makropoulos giving his speech. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Rest day for me in #BatumiChess2018. Watched little bit of chess election speeches (https://t.co/uKjh5z3XJT ). Its only me or Makro speech is looking like farewell words?

— Pavel Eljanov ( @Eljanov) October 3, 2018

The voting was done with two delegates at the same time, but it nonetheless took more than 1.5 hours. The counting took another hour or so.

Suddenly Jarecki returned, and announced the numbers. One ballot was declared invalid as the committee could not establish the vote. And then, the actual result.

Makropoulos 78 votes. Cheering already started. Dvorkovich: 103 votes. More, loud cheering, and Dvorkovich was quickly surrounded by delegates congratulating him and media rolling their cameras.

Sitting next to FIDE treasurer Adrian Siegel, Makropoulos shook a few hands as well, and then his son Iannis came, and hugged him. Three decades of working for FIDE had come to an end.

Dvorkovich got 103 votes, Makropoulos 78, 1 vote invalid. pic.twitter.com/uI0vGX77Hg

— ChesscomNews ( @ChesscomNews) October 3, 2018

Dvorkovich is the successor of his compatriot Ilyumzhinov, who was president of FIDE between 1995 and 2018. Initially he was running for another term, but at the end of June he withdrew, after Russia had put Dvorkovich forward.

Ilyumzhinov was the second-longest tenured leader of the World Chess Federation in history. Alexander Rueb, the organization’s first president, held the position two years longer, from 1924 till 1949.

At the last elections, in 2014, Ilyumzhinov defeated Garry Kasparov convincingly. Only a year later, problems started when he was put on the sanctions list of the U.S. Department of the Treasury for providing support to the government of Syria.

Swiss bank UBS closed FIDE’s account because of this, and then Makropoulos announced his candidacy for FIDE president in April, thereby officially taking distance from the president he had served under for decades.

A new era for chess starts today—the post-Ilyumzhinov era. Regaining a bank account is one of many problems and challenges the new administration will need to address.

FIDE Presidential Board

The FIDE Presidential Board before the elections. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Dvorkovich ticket

The Dvorkovich ticket members in the first row… | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Nigel Short ticket

…like the Short ticket members. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Carol Jarecki

Carol Jarecki chaired the scrutiny committee and announced the votes. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Makropoulos and son

Makropoulos and his son. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Dvorkovich winning elections

Congratulations for Dvorkovich. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Dvorkovich victory speech

Dvorkovich giving his victory speech. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Phone call

…and receiving a phone call from his mother. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Dvorkovich ticket

Left-right: Enyonam Sewa Fumey of Togo, Dvorkovich’s wife Zumrud Rustamova, Dvorkovich, Zhu Chen, Bachar Kouatly, Mahir Mamedov. Julio Granda is missing from the photo because he had to attend another meeting. | Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email

Related Posts

Diaspora Initiative for Alaafin Coronation Calls for Heightened Security Ahead of Historic Event

March 8, 2025

Sports Development Structure For Nigeria

January 23, 2025

Catholic Priest Resigns After 17 Years, Switches To Traditional Religion

January 9, 2025

No Comments

  1. OLABISI RAJI on October 4, 2018 10:52 am

    Good day sir,I hope your day is going on as expected? Please I want to advertise my products on your platform. Please kindly reply my message after receiving it. Thanks in anticipation……!!!

    Reply
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Posts

I am now officially CompTIA Security+ Certified. Am I dreaming?

October 20, 2024275

UK University Expel Nigerian Students, Gives Them Notice To Leave The Country

May 22, 2024209

How God Saved Me From Dare-Devil Ritualists – Jamiu Bankole

September 4, 202472

UK Varsities Face Funding Crisis

May 17, 202467
Don't Miss
Politics

President Trump Warns Elon Musk Of ‘Serious Consequences’ If He Funds Democrats

June 10, 20254 Mins Read

By Adetayo Omotoyosi U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a warning, stating there will be…

Singer Doechii Attacks Donald Trump For ICE Raids While Accepting Her BET Award

June 10, 2025

Who Leads Yorubaland? Ooni And Alaafin’s Supremacy Reignites

May 9, 2025

Diaspora Initiative for Alaafin Coronation Calls for Heightened Security Ahead of Historic Event

March 8, 2025
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from SmartMag about art & design.

About Us

Dare Lasisi Online is the creation of former Commonwealth Secretariat media intern, writer and UK-based investigative journalist, Dare Lasisi who has been in the business of online journalism for over a decade now. This platform is for ‘Citizen Journalism At Its Best.”

The publisher and web editor of Dare Lasisi Online is a graduate of Geography from the University of Ilorin, Kwara state in Nigeria.

He worked for some years in Nigeria as a newspaper reporter and PR consultant before relocating to the United Kingdom.

Facebook X (Twitter) Pinterest YouTube WhatsApp Telegram RSS
Our Picks

President Trump Warns Elon Musk Of ‘Serious Consequences’ If He Funds Democrats

June 10, 2025

Singer Doechii Attacks Donald Trump For ICE Raids While Accepting Her BET Award

June 10, 2025

Who Leads Yorubaland? Ooni And Alaafin’s Supremacy Reignites

May 9, 2025
Most Popular

I am now officially CompTIA Security+ Certified. Am I dreaming?

October 20, 2024275

UK University Expel Nigerian Students, Gives Them Notice To Leave The Country

May 22, 2024209

How God Saved Me From Dare-Devil Ritualists – Jamiu Bankole

September 4, 202472
© 2025 Dare Lasisi Online. Citizen Journalism At It's Best!
  • Home
  • Politics
  • About Us
  • Adverts Rates
  • Get In Touch

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.