Chess-FIDE candidate Rosenstein targets Carlsen return and governance reform

BENGALURU, Sept 18 : International Chess Federation (FIDE) presidential candidate Wadim Rosenstein said he would seek to bring Magnus Carlsen back into the classical world championship cycle if elected, while promising governance reforms, greater transparency and tougher conflict-of-interest rules.

The September 26 vote will determine the direction of a federation grappling with governance questions, Russia's role in the sport and a debate over how to balance the game's classical traditions with its fast-growing commercial appeal.

Rosenstein said the classical world championship should remain the sport's premier title despite the growing popularity of freestyle, rapid, blitz and online formats.

The election will be held during FIDE's General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with Rosenstein facing German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner and Kazakh businessman Timur Turlov.

The race took shape after longtime FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich stepped aside following his inclusion on the European Union's latest sanctions list.

"Among all the presidential candidates, I think I have the best relations with Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura," Rosenstein, a German entrepreneur and chess promoter, told Reuters in an interview.

Norway's Carlsen, a five-times world champion, is the world's top-ranked classical player, while American Nakamura is ranked second.

"I would love to bring them back into classical competition and I hope I will succeed."

Carlsen announced in 2022 that he would not defend his world title in 2023 and has not returned to the world championship cycle, increasingly focusing on other formats while continuing to play selected classical events.

His decision helped fuel a wider debate over how chess should balance its