By Our Special Correspondent
Indian chess legend and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand has been elected as the Deputy President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Polling was held today in the biggest hotel in Chennai. There are many subplots in the election but the most important is the identity of the candidates running for the post of FIDE President. The election reflected the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Anand was nominated by current President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich as part of his team to contest the election. Dvorkovich, a Muscovite with direct ties to the Kremlin, received 167 votes, while challenger Andrey Baryshpolets received 16 votes.
Bolshyarets, who lives in the US but is Ukrainian, started a petition to have Dvorkovich removed from FIDE. He was one of three contenders other than Danish player Peter Hein Nielsen.
Bolsharets, who is Ukrainian but lives in the US, started a petition to have Dvorkovich removed from FIDE. He was one of three contenders other than Danish player Peter Hein Nielsen.
Anand started playing chess at the age of six after learning the game from his mother. At the age of 15, he was already an International Master after winning the 1984 Asian Junior Championship for under-20 players.
Anand was known for playing quickly early in his career, competing for the Classical Championship in 1995 and was FIDE Champion from 2000-2002 before claiming the title again in 2007. He held that title for six years until 2013. Anand had a productive post-championship career at an age when many other top players had retired.
The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation commonly referred to by acronym FIDE is an international organization based in Switzerland that unites the various national chess federations and serves as the governing body for international chess competition. It was founded on July 20, 1924 in Paris, France.
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