Timur Turlov

Today is a victory for chess - for every player, every federation and everyone who believes in the potential of our game!

We are all one family and we will continue working as one. This is a great responsibility and a vote for a better future of our sport.

Now is the time to move chess forward - together!

#turlovforchess

From the FIDE World Senior Championships in Serbia, I travelled to Budapest, where yesterday we launched the star-studded @TotalChess World Championship Tour Pilot, a new and exciting project for the future of professional chess.

The idea behind Total Chess is to bring three formats, Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz, together in one competition. The world's best players will have to prove their strength across all three disciplines.

I believe chess has enormous potential for further growth. But to realise this potential, we need to be open to experiments, try new formats and find new ways to make our game attractive to players, spectators, broadcasters and commercial partners. That is why initiatives like Total Chess are important. We should preserve the rich traditions of our game while also looking for new opportunities to develop it.

Budapest is just the beginning. The full Total Chess World Championship Tour is planned to launch in 2027, and I am very interested to see how this new concept develops. My thanks to the @NorwayChess team, our partners and everyone involved in bringing this ambitious project to life.

I wish all participants great games and encourage chess fans to follow the tournament. It will be interesting to see who proves to be the most versatile player!

Photos: Total Chess

#TurlovforChess

Chess is a unique sport. You can play it throughout your life, continue competing at the highest level and inspire younger generations with your experience and achievements. That is why supporting chess players of all ages is an important priority for FIDE.

My first visit to Serbia as FIDE President brought me to Vrnjačka Banja, where nearly 400 players from 65 countries are currently competing at the FIDE World Senior Chess Championships. It was a pleasure to address the participants before the start of Round 6 and, together with the President of the Serbian Chess Federation, Andrija Jorgić, make the ceremonial first move in one of the games.

I was also very happy to meet two true legends of women's chess, former Women's World Champion Nona Gaprindashvili and Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling. Their remarkable careers are wonderful examples of lifelong dedication to our game.

During my visit, I also met with Boban Đurović, President of the Municipality of Vrnjačka Banja, Andrija Jorgić, Serbian Minister of Sports Zoran Gajić, and Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Serbia, Bolat Imanbayev. We discussed opportunities for further cooperation, new chess projects and the development of Vrnjačka Banja as a destination for major international sporting events.

My sincere thanks to the Serbian Chess Federation and all the organisers for their excellent work. I wish all participants a successful championship and many more years of great chess!

#TurlovforChess

Istanbul is preparing to become the centre of the chess world this December! The upcoming FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2026 were the main topic of my discussion with @enes_efendioglu , President of the Turkish Chess Federation @tsfresmi.

Türkiye has hosted many major international events before, including the 2012 Chess Olympiad, and has developed a strong culture of chess at all levels. Now Istanbul is preparing to welcome the world's best rapid and blitz players. I am confident that together with the Turkish Chess Federation and its partners, we will organise the Championships at the highest level and make it a great celebration of chess. I encourage players from all over the world to take part! Registration opens on November 15.

And to all chess fans, I invite you to follow the action live on FIDE's YouTube channel or, even better, come to Istanbul and experience the atmosphere of the Championships in person.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

#turlovforchess

Today, I had a very meaningful meeting with Fouad Fahmi Darwish, FIDE Honorary President and First Vice-President of the UAE Chess Federation.

The UAE is a country with strong chess traditions and an outstanding history of hosting major international competitions. This history goes back to 1986, when Dubai hosted the FIDE Chess Olympiad. More recently, in 2021, the World Chess Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi took place in Dubai as part of Expo 2020. And in 2028, the Chess Olympiad will return to the UAE, this time to Abu Dhabi.

The country also hosts some of the world's most respected regular chess tournaments. Both the Sharjah Masters and the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival were shortlisted for Best Open Tournament at the 2026 FIDE Excellence Awards. A well-deserved recognition of the excellent work being done here.

I believe that the UAE has accumulated valuable experience and expertise in organising major chess events, and it is important that this knowledge is shared with other countries.

We had a very good discussion about the future of chess in the region and opportunities for further cooperation. There is a lot we can learn from each other, and I am convinced that this kind of cooperation is essential if we want to bring chess to a new level.

#turlovforchess