Bouchra Kadiri, president of the Royal Moroccan Chess Federation, was elected vice president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) during the federation’s General Assembly held Saturday at the Congress Palace in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, marking another achievement for Moroccan sport.
The 97th edition of FIDE’s elective General Assembly drew a record turnout, with representatives from 194 member countries attending.
The presidential race featured strong competition between three candidates: Kazakh businessman Timur Turlov and Germans Jan-Henric Buettner and Vadim Rosenstein.
After a second round of voting, Timur Turlov was elected FIDE’s new president for a four-year term, securing 110 votes from the General Assembly against 85 for his German rival Vadim Rosenstein.
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Kadiri ran in the international election as part of Turlov’s ticket, which was based on a global strategic vision aimed at developing chess worldwide while strengthening the presence of Africa and women in international decision-making bodies.
Speaking to the press after her election, Kadiri expressed her pride and thanked all the countries that supported her candidacy for the position, which she said would allow her to defend Arab and African chess.
As president of the Royal Moroccan Chess Federation, she said her goal is to promote and develop chess and help strengthen its presence on the African and international stages. She also expressed confidence in a brighter future for Moroccan chess.
The 46th Chess Olympiad was also held alongside the FIDE General Assembly, with Morocco represented by both its men’s and women’s national teams.
Kadiri’s appointment to the high-level international position marks an important step and reflects growing international confidence in Moroccan expertise within international sporting bodies.
The achievement also follows the work of the Royal Moroccan Chess Federation, led by its president, through its participation in the activities of international and regional committees and conferences, including the Francophone Chess Association and the African Chess Confederation, as well as bilateral meetings with leading figures in the sport around the world.
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The position will give Morocco, the Arab region and Africa a direct voice and greater influence within FIDE’s executive board. It is expected to support advocacy for development programs, expand the chess-playing base and support continental and regional championships during the new term.
