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Grandmaster Flash
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05/26/2010Anatoly Karpov, chess grandmaster, former world champion and diligently a-political public figure, has found himself on a collision course with the Kremlin over the future of world chess. By standing for the Russian nomination for World Chess Federation (FIDE) president he has challenged the incumbent, President of the Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, and clashed with his ally, the high-ranking Kremlin aide Arkady Dvorkovich.
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ILYUMZHINOV, Kirsan Nikolayevich
Former President of the Republic of Kalmykia, President of the FIDE
09/30/2010
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was born April 5, 1962 in Elista, Kalmykia. The president of Kalmykia from April 1993 to September 2010, he is head of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and is well known for his eccentric character.
Ilyumzhinov graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in 1989, before working as general manager of the Soviet-Japanese firm Liko-Raduga for a year. From 1990 to 1993 he was president of the SAN corporation.
On April 11, 1993 Ilyumzhinov was elected president of the Republic of Kalmykia. He was reelected two and a half years later, receiving 85 percent of the vote. In October 2002 he was elected for a third time.
Since November 1995 Ilyumzhinov has been president of the International Chess Organization (FIDE). He has built extensive facilities to host chess competitions in the republic and introduced compulsory chess lessons in schools. In September 2010 he was reelected head of FIDE.
Ilyumzhinov also owns the Novy Vzglyad publishing house and claims to have met aliens.
