Rosenstein alleges sanctions threats during FIDE presidential election, challenges results 

"Throughout the entire election period, I was blackmailed and threatened with the imposition of Ukrainian sanctions, with demands that I withdraw my candidacy," Rosenstein said.

The entrepreneur said he was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, holds German citizenship and heads WR Group. His opponents in the FIDE election included Timur Turlov, president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and founder of financial group Freedom Holding, who is under Ukrainian sanctions.

On September 26 in Samarkand, Turlov defeated Rosenstein in the second round of voting by 110 votes to 85. The federation published the presidential tickets before the election.

Rosenstein said he did not recognize the election results and had filed complaints with FIDE’s Ethics Commission. According to Rosenstein, Timur Turlov and Malcolm Pein, who ran for deputy president on Jan Henric Buettner’s ticket, had a separate agreement. Rosenstein said it had been discussed before the election and confirmed after the first round of voting. He believes these circumstances may indicate a breach of Article 9.7 of FIDE’s Electoral Rules.

Rosenstein also denied allegations of ties to the Russian authorities, sanctions evasion and supplying military-use products. He said reports about him did not identify specific transactions, goods or sanctions-list entries that would substantiate the allegations.

"This is a primitive manipulation and a distortion of the facts," the entrepreneur said.

According to Rosenstein, he has not received instructions from the Russian authorities. He also said he does not manage the Russian company VR Rus or receive dividends from it, and that exiting the business requires permission from a Russian government commission.

He described reports of Italian footwear imports into Russia as relating to the Russian company’s independent business activities. References to supplies for NOVATEK, he said, concerned logistics services provided to European partners in 2019–2021 that were subsequently discontinued.

Separately, Rosenstein criticized the involvement of Mykhailo Podolyak, an external adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, in FIDE’s leadership. After winning the election, Turlov appointed him as one of the organization’s vice presidents.

"It is a disgrace that FIDE is now being run by Turlov and Podolyak, who have absolutely no idea how to play chess," Rosenstein said.

He challenged both men to play him at the chessboard. The entrepreneur also expressed the view that Turlov had preserved the influence of the team of former FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister. As an example, he pointed to Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand remaining in the leadership, having also served under the previous president.