Former Russian deputy prime minister Arkady Dvorkovich was re-elected for a second time period as president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Sunday, defeating a Ukrainian who had criticised him over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.
Dvorkovich, deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2018, acquired 157 votes in his favour and 16 towards him at FIDE’s common meeting in Chennai, India, the worldwide governing physique stated.
Dvorkovich, FIDE president since October 2018, ran towards Ukraine’s Andrii Baryshpolets, who criticised him for his ties with the Russian management as a former high-ranking official.
Indian chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion, was elected deputy president.
Ahead of the vote, Dvorkovich argued that he had taken a stance on the state of affairs in Ukraine.
“I took a powerful place on the tragic occasions in Ukraine in addition to supported FIDE Council choices concerning cutting down Russia’s involvement in FIDE,” he stated.
The Kremlin welcomed Dvorkovich’s victory.
“The election of the pinnacle of FIDE is essential, it is a world occasion, and naturally we had been rooting for Dvorkovich, a Russian citizen,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed Russia’s RIA information company.
“Unfortunately politics pervade all facets linked to sport and tradition, which may be very, very undesirable and unacceptable to us. But this doesn’t imply that we should always not battle.”
Dvorkovich, who gave an interview to Western media in March by which he spoke out towards the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine, give up as chair of the distinguished Skolkovo basis in March after a lawmaker accused him of a “nationwide betrayal”.
At the time the chairman of the inspiration’s board of administrators stated Dvorkovich had resigned as a result of he may not mix his duties at Skolkovo together with his tasks at FIDE.
Shortly after his feedback to Western media, Dvorkovich stated in a press release on Skolkovo’s web site that he was “sincerely pleased with the braveness of our (Russian) troopers” and that Russia had been focused by “harsh and mindless sanctions”. – Reuters
