FIDE could possibly be on the verge of scrapping its presidential time period restrict and permitting Russian incumbent Arkady Dvorkovich to run for 4 extra years in workplace.

The world chess federation’s present guidelines—introduced in as an election promise by Dvorkovich—are contained within the FIDE Constitution and state the president has to step down after two four-year phrases in energy.

However a controversial modification, to be mentioned when FIDE meets for its annual common meeting on Sunday, seeks to take away that clause. The movement was tabled by the federations representing 21 principally small chess nations and has been listed on the agenda below “administrative issues.”

Sunday’s proposal, first uncovered by the positioning Chess-Information, was highlighted by FIDE watchers on X, the platform formally often known as Twitter. It drew speedy criticism.

GM Peter Heine Nielsen, a frequent commentator on FIDE issues, stated:

Tomorrow there can be a vote on extending time period limits, that means FIDE President Dvorkovich🇷🇺 can run for a 3, time period, extending his reign till 2030.

Dvorkovich is intently linked to the Kremlin, and has an extended historical past supporting Russia’s🇷🇺 conflict in opposition to Ukraine🇺🇦 since 2014: pic.twitter.com/bafhIdQyBg

— Peter Heine Nielsen (@PHChess) December 16, 2023

Replies on his feed have been fast to attract comparisons with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has brought on concern by circumventing constitutional time period limits. Putin has held steady positions as president or prime minister since 1999 and, as a consequence of an modification to the structure in 2020, is now exempt from presidential time period limits till 2036.

Dvorkovich served as deputy prime minister below Putin from 2012 to 2018, and it has been advised he’s adopting the identical strategies:

The 2 time period restrict is there for a cause. FIDE President Dvorkovich should not undertake the strategies of RUS President Putin’s dictatorship.

— Bobby Fiske (@BobbyFiske) December 15, 2023

GM Jacob Aagaard additionally famous that Dvorkovich went again on his key election promise to cease phrases of workplace just like the 23-year reign of his predecessor Kirsan Ilyumzhinov from occurring once more. Aagaard stated:

So one of many largest guarantees within the election in 2018 is being reversed…

— GM Jacob Aagaard (@GMJacobAagaard) December 15, 2023

Earlier than he was elected in 2018, Dvorkovich advised the media: “The FIDE President should serve the chess neighborhood, and whatever the outcomes of his work, a most of two presidential phrases should be established.”

“Президент @FIDE_chess должен служить шахматному сообществу, и независимо от результатов его работы должно быть установлено максимум два президентских срока”.

Из предвыборной программы аркадия дворковича, 2018 год. https://t.co/dQNYibbOWp pic.twitter.com/ZxuYAHmjGV

— Chess-Information Шахматы без цензуры (@Chess__News) December 16, 2023

Throughout that election marketing campaign, Dvorkovich obtained assist from, amongst others, the influential Affiliation of Chess Professionals.

In a pre-election endorsement posted on its web site, the ACP said: “ACP strongly helps the view that no President ought to be serving for greater than two consecutive phrases. That is important to democracy in each main group and FIDE isn’t any exception.”

The response in Russia to Dvorkovich profitable was constructive with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling the RIA information company: “The election of the pinnacle of FIDE is essential, it is a world occasion, and, after all, we have been rooting for Dvorkovich, a Russian citizen.”

Saying Dvorkovich’s re-election in 2022 on the common meeting in Chennai, India, FIDE’s personal web site said: “Dvorkovich’s second time period may also be the final, as one of many first duties that he undertook shortly after being elected in 2018 was to resume the FIDE Constitution, introduce time period limits, and different democratic reforms.”

If accepted, the change would permit the 51-year-old to increase his time period as one of many few Russians nonetheless answerable for worldwide sporting organizations because the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The opposite most important outlier is the Worldwide Judo Federation (IJF), below the management of its President Marius Vizer, reportedly a long-time shut good friend of Putin.

Since his election in a bruising contest again in 2018, Dvorkovich has confronted fixed criticism for his hyperlinks to the Russian authorities—notably since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.

On changing into FIDE president, Dvorkovich moved swiftly to ship on his election promise and launched Article 18.12 of the FIDE Constitution which states: “An individual can not function FIDE President for greater than two phrases of 4 years. Phrases could also be consecutive or non-consecutive.”

In his letter to FIDE, the president of the Andorra Chess Federation, Francesc Rechi Pérez, argues the time is correct for the change.

He stated: “The 2023 GA is an applicable second to reverse/make the respective amendments to the Constitution whereas that is the least politicized interval in between elections, and there aren’t any direct beneficiaries from adoption of the change in rules.”

The complete record of federations endorsing the proposal:

• • Andorra Chess Federation
  • Brazilian Chess Federation
  • Bolivian Chess Federation
  • Chess Kenya Federation
  • Chilean Chess Federation
  • Colombian Chess Federation
  • Costa Rica Chess Federation
  • Libyan Chess Federation
  • Mexican Chess Federation
  • Nationwide Federation of Guatemala
  • Nicaragua Nationwide Chess Federation
  • Palestine Chess Federation
  • Paraguayan Chess Federation
  • Peruvian Chess Federation
  • Puerto Rico Chess Federation
  • Royal Jordanian Chess Federation
  • Salvadorian Chess Federation
  • Sudan Chess Federation
  • Syrian Chess Federation
  • Uruguayan Chess Federation
  • Yemen Chess Federation