Magnus Carlsen and Hikara Nakamura wanted to return to classical chess

Vadim Rosenstein intends to return Magnus Carlsen to classical chess and reform FIDE.

German entrepreneur and FIDE member candidate Vadim Rosenstein has put forward his candidacy for president of the International Chess Federation. If he wins, he intends to bring Magnus Carlsen back to the classic World Cup cycle, as well as carry out a large-scale reform of the organization’s governance system, increasing its transparency and tightening the rules for preventing conflicts of interest.

The vote, which will determine the future of the federation, will be held on September 26 at the General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The elections were initiated after the resignation of the long-term head of FIDE Arkady Dvorkovich, who fell under the sanctions of the European Union. Rosenstein’s main rivals in the election race are German businessman Jan Henrik Buettner and Kazakhstani entrepreneur Timur Turlov.

The key point of the program of the German promoter is to preserve the status of classical chess as the main title in this sport. Rosenstein emphasizes the need to respect the traditions of the game amid the growing popularity of blitz, Rapid, freestyle and online formats. In his opinion, any changes in the structure of the championships should be discussed with sponsors and national federations, so that commercial considerations do not diminish the prestige of the classical crown.

The presidential candidate also expressed hope for the return to the classic competitions of the current leader of the world ranking Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and second-place American Hikaru Nakamura. Rosenstein believes he has the best relationship with both grandmasters. Five-time world champion Carlsen announced in 2022 that he would not defend his title by switching to other formats, which provoked a discussion in the chess community about the balance between tradition and modern commercial interests of the audience.

An important place in the election program is the issue of compliance with legal norms and international decisions. Rosenstein insists on strict adherence to the verdicts of the Court of Arbitration for Sport against athletes from Russia and Belarus. Earlier, in June, FIDE temporarily suspended the membership of the Russian Chess Federation due to non-compliance with the requirements of the CAS on time. The presidential candidate is convinced that chess should remain a tool for uniting people and strengthening peace, but the organization must act strictly within the framework of existing legislation.

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Rosenstein pays special attention to the professionalization of internal processes and the improvement of the commercial performance of FIDE. To avoid a conflict of interest, he proposes to introduce strict restrictions: employees of the federation will be prohibited from working in private chess structures in parallel. Despite the fact that the rules of the game are known to billions of people around the world, chess is sorely lacking sponsors outside the narrow circle of enthusiasts, and this situation must be corrected.