Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Alien Abductee, Wants To Run For FIDE President Again—Or So He Says

It's hard to know how serious he is, given he once claimed he was abducted by aliens.

But if there's one thing Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is known for, apart from that, is having sky-high ambition.

Ilyumzhinov, the man who dominated chess politics as president of FIDE for more than two decades before being forced out in 2018, has announced he is planning a stunning comeback run for the game's top job this September, according to a new interview.

Comeback King?

Does chess need the return of Ilyumzhinov? In a wide-ranging interview published this week in Russian media the 63-year-old claims chess does.

In fact, he says, some people in chess think he never left. So, when FIDE's elections take place at its General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Ilyumzhinov is adamant he will be in the running.

Ilyumzhinov, a former president of the Republic of Kalmykia in the Russian Federation, was head of FIDE from 1995 to 2018. During that time, Ilyumzhinov was pictured with some of the world's most murderous dictators claiming to spread the word of chess.

Ilyumzhinov also famously said two-metre tall aliens in yellow spacesuits took him to space from his Moscow apartment and played chess with him.

Recently a video clip of his bizarre claims re-emerged and went viral:

During his time, Ilyumzhinov was challenged at separate elections by chess greats GM Anatoly Karpov in 2010 and GM Garry Kasparov in 2014.

Both tried to lever their star power against him in the name of reform. The campaigns were tumultuous and took place amid accusations of foul play. But, with Russian support, Ilyumzhinov maintained his grip on power.

He was eventually ousted after a scandal-hit final few years that ended with FIDE having its president sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2015 and as a consequence, its bank accounts frozen two years later. Those sanctions were lifted last year by the current administration.

But chess administrators have long memories. The game was in a dark place back then. Ilyumzhinov was effectively pushed aside and bitter election campaign followed before he dropped out and was replaced by then Kremlin-favourite Arkady Dvorkovich. The Ilyumzhinov era was over.

The new Russian in charge immediately delivered on a campaign promise to abolish term limits so no-one could dominate FIDE for so long again. But eight years on, Dvorkovich now faces re-election in September having seen those term limits he introduced abolished under his watch.

Enter Ilyumzhinov.

"I left my post for the sake of chess," he said. "Because it was difficult to fulfil my duties under the sanctions imposed on me in 2015. Therefore, in 2018, I supported Arkady Dvorkovich's candidacy and asked all my supporters to vote for the Russian candidate.

"When Arkady Vladimirovich won, he initiated changes to the FIDE Statutes regarding the presidential term limit. This stipulates that a president can only serve two terms.

"His term expires in September. There are rumours that candidates from Germany and England will run. Our country must have a candidate in the upcoming elections, and I hope Russia will support me."

Ilyumzhinov also railed against the sanctions FIDE imposed on the Chess of Federation in the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Restoring the pride of Russian chess, is his top priority.

"Of course," he told Timur Ganeev, for Sport-Express. "The first thing I'll do is return the flag and anthem to Russian chess players and enshrine in the FIDE Statutes that such sanctions are unacceptable against any country."

One thing Ilyumzhinov always boasted of during his time in FIDE was the amount of money he pumped into the game.

Asked how much he spend during his presidency, Ilyumzhinov said: "It's difficult to estimate the impact year by year. I can say that over the 23 years as FIDE's leader, I invested around $100 million of my own money and that of my friends.

"This money went not only toward organising major tournaments, but also toward developing chess around the world, educational activities, and helping chess veterans."

Ilyumzhinov, a former leader of the Republic of Kalmykia, certainly did come up with the goods when it came to money during his time in office. But how much is impossible to verify—and $100 million sounds like a lot.

During the interview, Ilyumzhinov also touched on one of the real obsessions during his time at FIDE: getting chess into the Olympics. Ilyumzhinov's critics argue it was an impossible dream, and during Dvorkovich's reign it seems to have fallen down the priorities.

But Ilyumzhinov doesn't see the Olympic ambition that way. In the interview, he strongly reiterated his long-standing belief that there is, "a clear vertical is needed for chess to finally be included in the Olympic programme."

He added: "We need to make chess an Olympic sport. We were very close when we were negotiating with the President of South Korea to nominate chess for inclusion in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

"The problem is that only a limited number of countries participate in the Winter Games. Chess could have changed that, as we would have brought athletes from at least 100 countries.

"But at the last minute, everything fell through. Now we need to see this through. The minimum goal is to be included in the Olympic program, and the maximum is for chess to be represented at both the Summer and Winter Games."

For Ilyumzhinov, who says he has spent the years since 2018 travelling the globe spreading the game, it's almost like he never stopped being president.

He said with a smile: "I don't need to go anywhere for this: most countries are already convinced that I'm still FIDE President. I still receive hundreds of messages. From chess players, parents, organizers. From Congo, Zaire, South Korea...

"There's not enough money to organise the tournament, there's no money for chess sets, help me publish a textbook, add money for a complex medical operation. And every day I get calls from national federations—they're asking me to run, they're ready to support me."

Ilyumzhinov even claims he has the makings of a election team: "The FIDE President is coming with a team of five people: the first vice-president, two vice-presidents, the treasurer, and the director general. I've been offered various candidates, so there's plenty to consider."

However, one reality check that could bring Ilyumzhinov down to earth is out of his control—he needs the support of Russia.

"For me, only one thing is fundamentally important: who Russia will support and nominate."

Easter is the time for rebirth and resurrection. Could what seemed impossible happen? We suspect at this moment it's just words. But the FIDE election in September is still one to keep a keen eye on.