FIDE Congress 2026

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Wadim Rosenstein

My name is Wadim Rosenstein. I am an entrepreneur, the founder of WR Chess, and Chairman of WR Group Holding. I hereby declare my candidacy for FIDE President, with a clear vision of what this institution can become through modernisation: an organisation that puts federations first, is professionally managed, commercially stronger, future-ready, and truly international — in both its identity and its conduct.

I hold an EMBA from the SGMI Management Institut St. Gallen, Switzerland. My career began in 2009 at ThyssenKrupp in Germany, followed by an executive position at Siemag TecbergGroup. Since September 2014, I have served as Chairman of WR Group, the company I founded, which has grown into a diversified global enterprise operating in 70 countries, specialising in logistics, heavy engineering, and IT, with additional interests in real estate development and international sports initiatives.

Ambition, structure, and teamwork define these businesses — and they define my approach to chess. Chess has been central to my life since childhood. It shaped how I think, how I prepare, and how I lead.

I have been a competitive player since 2001. Over the years, and alongside my success in business, I have supported chess in various ways — primarily through sponsorship, but also by organising events and building structures for long-term growth:

  • I created the WR Chess Masters in Düsseldorf and London, establishing elite competition at the highest level.
  • I have sponsored federations, clubs, and emerging talents across continents.
  • I initiated and helped build the World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship — a global team format unlike anything that had existed before, uniting elite grandmasters and club players. It is today the strongest team championship in global chess and a permanent fixture in the FIDE calendar.
  • I am currently the Delegate of the German Chess Federation (Deutsche Schachbund – DSB).
  • I have recently launched the WR Women’s Chess Tour, a series of four elite tournaments for women players.
  • I established several elite tournaments under WR Chess Masters.
  • I have sponsored talents and clubs across the world.

 

Gordon Tang Yigang

As a former professional athlete, my career is dedicated to advancing the Olympic movement and driving sports innovation throughout Asia and worldwide. Since 2015, I have served as Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia and President of the Cambodia Sailing Federation. In 2021, I expanded my scope by becoming Executive Vice President of the

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Chairman of its Esports, Martial Arts and Mind Sports Committee.

Throughout my leadership, my core priorities have remained steadfast: athlete welfare, talent development, and industrial growth. In 2022, I founded the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA) in Singapore-the first MMA body officially recognized by the OCA. Through our collective efforts, MMA has successfully transitioned into an official medal sport at major continental events, including the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Saudi Arabia, and the Asian Games in Japan.

As part of sports development, I am deeply passionate about integrating next-generation disciplines into the Olympic family. As Committee Chairman, I have spearheaded initiatives like the Asian Esports Festivals and the Asian Esports Summit to modernize our sports ecosystem. A proud milestone of this advocacy is the inclusion of eleven esports titles at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Recognizing that intellectual competition carries profound value, I am also working tirelessly to elevate mind sports alongside physical disciplines. In February 2025, with the support of the OCA, I established the Asian Mind Sports Association in Bangkok.

This landmark initiative laid the foundation for the inaugural Asian Esports and Mind Sports Games in 2027, which will feature chess, bridge, go, xiangqi, and esports.

Mind sports are not merely as competitive pursuits, but as powerful instruments for education, cognitive development, and cross-cultural exchange-positioning Asia as a premier global hub for both athletic and intellectual excellence.