Ukrainian Chess Federation blasts presidential aide after accepting FIDE position alongside a Russian, urges SBU probe

The Ukrainian Chess Federation (UCF) issued a protest on Sept. 28 after Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Presidential Office, accepted the title of vice president at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) alongside a former Russian minister.

"The UCF believes that Mykhailo Podolyak's actions, committed during the Russian Federation's full-scale armed aggression, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and negatively impact Ukraine's image," the federation said in a statement.

The UCF described Podolyak's actions as "treason against Ukraine's national interests" and urged the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to investigate him.

Timur Turlov, a Ukraine-sanctioned, Moscow-born Kazakh businessman, was elected FIDE's new president at the organization’s General Assembly on Sept. 26. He then appointed two vice presidents — Podolyak and Russia's former sports minister, Pavel Kolobkov.

Before becoming FIDE's president, Turlov publicly asked Podolyak to join his team: "I would like to invite Ukraine to join our team and nominate its representative to serve as a FIDE vice president," he wrote on social media.

"Even during an extraordinarily difficult time for the country, Ukrainian chess has remained strong and respected internationally," he added in the same post.

That same day, Podolyak responded to Turlov on X by saying he is "deeply interested in seeing international federations move past intrigue and politics."

“I am deeply committed to Ukraine playing a much more significant role in global sports — ensuring its voice is heard regularly, sensibly, and loudly," Podolyak added.

The UCF said on Sept. 28 that it did not authorize Podolyak as a representative, citing a lack of ties to the Ukrainian chess community and the country's chess federation.

It also asserted that Kolobkov cannot hold this position as Russia's Chess Federation's membership in FIDE is currently suspended.

The SBU and Podolyak have not commented on the UCF’s statement.

The UCF's president is Alexander Kamyshin, a former strategic industries minister and an ex-advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Turlov is the founder, CEO, and major shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp, a retail brokerage and investment bank valued at over $10 billion as of September 2026.

In June 2022, Turlov renounced his Russian citizenship, joining at least nine other billionaires who gave up their passports.

Since October 2022, Turlov has been sanctioned by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. Further sanctions may be prepared against Turlov, according to UCF.