FIDE President Tours Budapest Meetings Ahead of Total Chess Pilot 2026

Budapest Headquarters for FIDE Engagement

BUDAPEST — FIDE President Timur Turlov arrived in Budapest recently, where he attended the opening ceremony of the Total Chess Pilot 2026 tournament and conducted a wide-ranging schedule of bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening international chess cooperation.

The visit underscored FIDE’s push to develop new collaborative initiatives across education, adaptive sport, and school-based programming.

Sports Education Partnership

Turlov held discussions with Professor Tamás Sterbenz, Rector of the Hungarian University of Sports Science, exploring avenues for partnership in sports education. Among the topics considered was the creation of specialized academic programs with FIDE involvement, particularly in training professionals for sports management roles. The idea of designing a dedicated educational track tailored to the needs of the global chess community was also raised. Both sides agreed to continue dialogue on fleshing out these cooperative possibilities.

Chess in the Paralympic Movement

A separate meeting with László Szabó, President of the Hungarian Paralympic Committee, centered on integrating chess into the Paralympic sporting framework. Participants examined practical steps to promote chess within Paralympic athletics, including the prospect of leveraging upcoming European sporting events as a launching pad to develop this niche further.

School Chess and Competition Organizers

Turlov also conferred with Hungarian Minister of Internal Affairs Gábor Pósfai on fostering school chess programs. The FIDE President stressed the organization’s commitment to broadening educational access and embedding chess curricula in schools worldwide.

Additional conversations took place with key figures behind major international tournaments. Turlov met Kjell Madland, founder of Norway Chess and the Total Chess World Championship Tour; Roy-André Tollefsen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Total Chess; and Rune Hauge, a representative from the sports and media sector. The group exchanged initial views on potential cooperative formats for future international chess projects.

Diplomatic and Federation Touchpoints

During his stay, Turlov also received Anel Bakytbekkyzy, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Hungary, and held talks with delegations from several European national chess federations.

• Total Chess Pilot 2026 opening ceremony attended in Budapest
• Partnership explored with Hungarian University of Sports Science on FIDE-backed education programs
• Paralympic chess integration discussed with Hungarian Paralympic Committee
• School chess expansion prioritized in meeting with Hungarian Minister of Internal Affairs
• Cooperation frameworks reviewed with Total Chess and Norway Chess organizers

Looking Ahead

While many of the discussions were preliminary, the breadth of engagements signaled FIDE’s intent to diversify its outreach across education, adaptive sport, and grassroots development — all anchored by the ongoing Total Chess ecosystem.

Source

This report is based on information published by FIDE — International Chess Federation.

Official source: https://www.fide.com/fide-president-timur-turlov-holds-meetings-in-budapest/