English Chess Forum

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 21, 2026 10:32 am

https://x.com/TelegraphChess/status/2046293234079437248

Malcolm Pein on X wrote:For the second time in a decade, a FIDE President is threatened with sanctions. In February, the European Union declared its intention to sanction Arkady Dvorkovich. We have been here before. In 2015, sanctions were imposed on Kirsan Ilyumzhinov by the US Treasury. As a result, FIDE lost access to bank accounts, lost its credibility and our standing with the IOC was damaged.

Fortunately, the proposed European Union sanctions, which would include an EU visa-ban and asset-freeze, have not yet been imposed on our President. If sanctions are imposed, the President should not stand for a third term at the General Assembly, to be held during the 47th Chess Olympiad in September.

In this circumstance, should the President stand for re-election, I will stand against him and a broad-based electoral coalition should be formed with the intention of taking FIDE in a different direction. This coalition can be established in the coming months, before the electoral deadline towards the end of July.

My team and I are assembling a ticket, including candidates for the FIDE Council. We are preparing a campaign program which will emphasise our objective of transforming FIDE into a modern, self-sufficient and independent non-governmental organisation.

A necessary condition for the success of our campaign is of course the support of the international chess community. Throughout my 50 years in chess, I have been involved in: competition as a professional player, tournament organisation at all levels, journalism, commercial sponsorship, chess in schools, social projects, as well as chess administration in the European Chess Union and English Chess Federation. I am uniquely qualified.

Ahead of the deadline to submit tickets, I would welcome expressions of interest in joining our campaign to transform the organisation that governs the game we all love.

Feel free to get in touch:
Email: PeinCampaign (at) gmail.com

Let's do it. Gens Una Sumus!
7:21 pm · 20 Apr 2026
·33.2K Views

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 10:22 am

I don't fancy his chances.

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 10:55 am

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 10:22 am

I don't fancy his chances.

Pein or Dvorkovich?

It's not the 200,000 or more players with active FIDE ratings who have much or any say in the FIDE leadership, rather the 200 or so delegates at the FIDE general meeting.

I doubt the individual members of the ECF will be consulted either directly or indirectly through the ECF Council.

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 4:08 pm

Pein is getting on slightly (66 this year) which might not help his chances.

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 10:08 pm

I have heard shocking and doubtless malicious, unsubstantiated rumours that in the past, the candidates attempted to bribe the delegates.

Alex Holowczak wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 4:32 pm

I'm not a delegate for any of the 200 or so member Federations of FIDE, but I would expect Malcolm's age would struggle to make it into the top 100 reasons why someone might choose to vote one way or the other.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 11:29 am

Pein, he's been outspoken about FIDE in the past, which I am sure didn't go down too well.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 30, 2026 2:21 pm

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2026 11:29 am

Pein, he's been outspoken about FIDE in the past, which I am sure didn't go down too well.

He was certainly very rude about Makro, but I didn't get the impression from Athens that they were much bothered.

Angus French wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2026 7:58 pm

Because they - and others? - don't have much regard for him?