Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

KIRSAN ILYUMZHINOV

President of World Chess Federation (Since November 1995)
President and Head of Republic of Kalmykia (from Oct. 2005)
Born: April 5, 1962. Ethnic background: Kalmyk
Education: Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relations (MGIMO)

Degrees and Titles

  • Honored Academician of Interregional Science of Science Academy of Russian Federation
  • Honored Doctor of National Academy of Applied Sciences of Russian Federation
  • Full Member of Russian Social Sciences Academy
  • Full Member of New York Academy of Sciences

Awards

  • Gold Medal of Peace for Humanitarian Activities
  • Medal “300 Years of Russian Navy”
  • F. Plevako Gold Medal
  • Order of Friendship
  • Order of St. Nicolas
  • Order of Dignity St. George with sword
  • Triumphal Crown of the National Academy of Applied Sciences
  • Honored Citizen of Elista
  • Pierre Obrie Sign (France)

Elections

  • Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of Russian Federative Republic,
  • Member of the Federation Council of Russian Federation
  • Honored Deputy of Elista Municipal Board,
  • President of Russian Chamber of Entrepreneurs

Career history

  • 1979-1980 Mechanic-fitter at Zvezda plant, Elista
  • 1980-1982 Military Service
  • 1982-1983 Mechanic at Zvezda plant, Elista
  • 1983-1989 Student at Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relations
  • 1989-1990 Manager of Soviet-Japanese Company “Liko-Raduga”, Moscow
  • 1990-1993 President of SAN Corporation, Moscow
  • April 1993 – present President, Head (since Oct.2005) of the Republic of Kalmykia
  • November 1995 – present President of World Chess Federation (FIDE)

Personal Quotation

“All new attempts to split the Chess World are doomed to failure.”

Sponsor and/or Organiser of Major Chess Events:

  • 1996 World Chess Championship Karpov-Kamsky, Elista, Russia
  • 1998 President’s Cup (International Super tournament), Elista, Russia
  • 1998 33rd Chess Olympiad with 110 men’s and 73 women’s teams, Elista, Russia
  • 1998-1999 World Chess Championship, Groningen-Lausanne
  • 1999 Lausanne Young Masters Tournament, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 1999 World Chess Championship, Las Vegas.
  • 2000 World Chess Championship, New Delhi-Teheran
  • 2001-2002 World Chess Championship, Moscow
  • 2004 World Women’s Chess Championship, Elista, Russia
  • 2004 Botvinnik’s Chess Memorial, Moscow, Russia
  • 2006 World Chess Championship match V. Kramnik vs. Topalov

During all these years Kirsan and his FIDE team also regularly organized the annual World Youth Championships and World U-20 Championships. Since 1999, World Children’s Chess Olympiads are running under FIDE Patronage.

Apart from this Kirsan did organize 6 Russian Championships and 8 Russian Women’s Championships.