From alleged corruption scandals in Africa to leveraging FIDE's assets: the ways billionaire Timur Turlov's associates advocate for their nominee via electoral processes and official grievances

06 сентября 2026 г., 19:15

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From alleged corruption scandals in Africa to leveraging FIDE's assets: the ways billionaire Timur Turlov's associates advocate for their nominee via electoral processes and official grievances

Kazakh banker Timur Turlov, a candidate for the post of FIDE president, has once again found himself at the center of a scandal, this time in Africa.

People from his team were implicated in a vote-buying incident during the African Chess Confederation (ACC) presidential elections.

Kenyan Bernard Wanjala won by a narrow margin of one vote—25:24. Turlov was one of the first to publicly congratulate his partner, with whom he shares Napoleonic plans to expand his influence on the Black Continent.

However, immediately after the election, delegate Nicholas Carbonela claimed that Wanjala had offered him $1,500 in exchange for his vote the night before the vote. Carbonela claims he refused the money. Former ACC President Tsepiso Lopang filed a complaint based on this allegation, demanding an investigation into the circumstances of the election.

Accusations of possible influence on delegates have also been leveled against two members of Vanjala’s team, closely associated with
Turlov. Dennis Vandina, for example, has long worked with Vanjala in Kenyan chess and remains his close associate. Another key figure is Andre Levakis. He ran for the ACC Vice President of Technical Affairs on Vanjala’s team and was awarded the position after his victory.

The special commission must establish who contacted delegates before the vote, who distributed materials, who attended the meetings, and what happened in the hotel on the night before the election when election materials were distributed.

If the investigation confirms violations, it will become more than
just an African scandal. It will directly raise questions about the methods and connections Timur Turlov is using in his struggle for control of world chess.

Earlier, FIDE President candidate Jan Henrik Büttner, in a letter to FIDE Council members, stated that his team had received "numerous credible evidence" that Mr. Turlov had actively used FIDE funds and assistance from federation employees during his election campaign. Specifically, they arranged meetings for him with General Assembly delegates, whose votes will determine the new FIDE President on September 26.

Muscovite Timur Turlov received Kazakh citizenship after the start of the Second World War
, supported Ukraine, and renounced his Russian passport. The billionaire positions himself as an "international banker," although experts believe the source of his wealth is exclusively Russian money.