Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and founder of Freedom Holding, has announced his candidacy for vice-president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), joining the ticket of incumbent FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich ahead of elections in September, Freedom Holding said in a statement on June 29.

The next FIDE leadership elections will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 26-27 during the federation’s general assembly. Under FIDE rules, the president and vice-president run on a joint ticket.

Turlov announced his candidacy on social media, saying Kazakhstan’s recent progress in chess demonstrates a model that could be expanded globally.

“The results achieved over these 3.5 years have convinced me of a simple thing: the approach we’re using in Kazakhstan works, and it can be scaled up much more broadly, to the level of world chess,” Turlov said.

Turlov has led the Kazakhstan Chess Federation since 2023, overseeing reforms aimed at expanding participation, strengthening institutional support and improving international competitiveness.

Kazakhstan’s national teams have improved their standing in recent years, according to the company's statement. In 2025, Kazakh players won 162 medals at international tournaments, including 64 gold medals. More than 1,500 schools and over 60,000 students are now participating in the country’s chess education programme.

In 2026, Kazakhstan introduced a new accreditation system for chess schools and clubs and began preparing the launch of KazChess ID, a unified digital platform designed to integrate the country’s chess ecosystem.

Freedom Holding allocates around $15mn annually to support chess development in Kazakhstan. The company has also expanded its involvement in global chess.

In April, Freedom Holding announced the acquisition of ChessBase, one of the world’s largest chess software and analytics platforms. The company plans to invest about €5mn in its development, with chess tournament broadcasts already integrated into the Freedom SuperApp.

Freedom Holding, listed on Nasdaq since 2019, reported revenue of $2.2bn for fiscal year 2026. The company’s market capitalisation exceeds $8bn, while Forbes estimates Turlov’s personal fortune at $5.5bn.

The group operates in more than 20 countries across Kazakhstan, the US, Europe and the Middle East, serving over 14mn clients through banking, brokerage, insurance and digital services.