Ilyumzhinov withdraws from election of Russian Chess Federation president
MOSCOW. Feb 3 (Interfax) - World Chess Federation (FIDE) President Kirsan Ilymzhinov has withdrawn from the election of the president of the Russian Chess Federation.
"Thank you for your trust, I am withdrawing from the presidential election," Ilymzhinov said at the federation's congress on Saturday.
He said he is planning to focus on working as the FIDE president, "on visiting abroad, promoting chess and the Russian school, bringing the number of players to 1 billion people."
Ilymzhinov said he had gotten "the Russian president's blessing to run in the election of the FIDE president."
He also linked his decision to withdraw from the election to the publication of 'the Kremlin list' in the United States. "A report was presented in the U.S. this week; citizens of our country are being forced into isolation. I learned it firsthand, as I have been on sanctions list for a long time. I will fight for my rights. When the 'Kremlin list' was published, I decided to double the number of visited countries to 40 six months, I visit them not only as the FIDE president, but also as a Russian citizen, I inform presidents of counties that Russia is a great power and the Russian chess school is the most progressive," Ilyumzhinov said.