President of the International Chess Federation Timur Turlov visited Budapest, where he attended the opening ceremony of the Total Chess Pilot 2026 tournament and held a series of meetings. The main focus of the negotiations was on expanding international cooperation and developing new areas of FIDE’s activities.
During the visit, Timur Turlov met with the Rector of the Hungarian University of Sports Science, Professor Tamás Sterbenz.
The parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the field of sports education, including the possibility of developing specialized educational programs with FIDE’s participation.
Special attention was given to the training of specialists in sports management. The possibility of creating a separate educational program tailored to the needs of the international chess community was also considered. The parties expressed interest in continuing the dialogue to more thoroughly develop potential areas of cooperation.
Prospects for the development of chess in the Paralympic movement were discussed at a meeting with the President of the Hungarian Paralympic Committee, László Szabó.
The meeting participants considered possible steps to further promote chess in Paralympic sports, including the use of European sporting events as a platform for developing this area.
Issues of cooperation in the field of school chess were one of the topics of Timur Turlov’s meeting with the Hungarian Minister of Internal Affairs, Gábor Pósfai. The FIDE President emphasized the federation’s interest in expanding educational opportunities and developing chess programs for schoolchildren.
Special attention was also given to engagement with the organizers of international chess competitions. Timur Turlov met with the founder of Norway Chess and the Total Chess World Championship Tour, Kjell Madland; the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Total Chess, Roy-André Tollefsen; and sports and media industry representative Rune Hauge.
The parties exchanged views on the prospects for the development of international chess projects and possible formats of cooperation. The discussions were preliminary in nature and aimed at exploring potential opportunities for collaboration.
Additionally, while in Budapest, Timur Turlov met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Hungary, Anel Bakytbekkyzy.
Furthermore, the FIDE President held meetings with representatives of the national chess federations of several European countries.