FIDE leadership race in Samarkand pits Russia-linked candidates after Dvorkovich exit

FIDE's presidential election on September 26 in Samarkand follows Arkady Dvorkovich's departure under EU sanctions. Both leading candidates, Timur Turlov and Vadim Rosenstein, have ties to Russia, raising questions about Moscow's influence over the international chess body. The outcome could signal Russia's soft-power reach in international sports governance.