Ukraine publishes audio alleging Russian bribery and vote-rigging before FIDE election
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Dvorkovich and Glukhovsky (Photo: Collage NV)
The Ukrainian Chess Federation has published a purported audio recording in which Russian chess official Mark Glukhovsky allegedly describes bribing delegates and arranging vote-rigging schemes ahead of the 2018 election for president of the International Chess Federation.
The recording appeared on the federation’s Facebook page. Its author identified the speaker in the captions as Glukhovsky, a prominent Russian chess official.
In the audio, the man identified as Glukhovsky tells another person about allegedly bribing delegates and organizing schemes to manipulate voting ahead of the 2018 FIDE presidential election.
Glukhovsky served as campaign manager that year for Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister who ultimately won the election.
Dvorkovich retained the presidency four years later, although the 2022 campaign was also accompanied by a series of controversies.
He was forced to step down as FIDE president in July 2026 after the European Union imposed personal sanctions against him.
Russian businessman Timur Turlov, who holds Kazakh citizenship and is described as a close associate of Dvorkovich, is running in the 2026 election scheduled for Sept. 26-27 during the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand.
Glukhovsky is serving as Turlov’s campaign manager.
“Now, after the publication of this audio recording, the entire chess world must understand and recognize how Russians conducted — and how they intend to conduct, including now in Samarkand — the election for FIDE president,” the Ukrainian Chess Federation said.
“Clearly, the competent authorities must also draw their conclusions. Such actions have no international borders.”
The federation did not provide independent authentication of the recording in the material cited.
NV previously reported that Russian chess manager Sergei Indeykin died after contracting malaria following a mosquito bite during a trip to Nigeria.
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