The 2nd Quarter 2018 Presidential Board in Bucharest, Romania considered the forthcoming elections and unanimously resolved to ensure that they are fair and transparent. The Board noted:

FIDE is a Swiss registered organisation and its policy is clear in relation to bribery and other forms of corruption. The solicitation, the offer, the payment and/or the acceptance of inducements, in any form, is unacceptable and subject to sanction by the FIDE Ethics Commission and/or Swiss authorities. Offering or accepting bribes (‘bribery’) is a criminal offence, in Swiss law, and there are penalties, both civil and criminal, for those who undertake such offences.

The election process must not only be fair but be seen to be fair. To that end the PB resolved to create an Electoral Integrity Committee composed of independent persons, with appropriate experience and or legal expertise, who will investigate cases of alleged corruption and recommend action accordingly to the competent authorities. The members of the committee will be:

1. Dr. Michael Hochstrasser (Switzerland) - Chairman
2. Dr. Marouane Tabti (Algeria)
3. Prof. Rashid Alanezi (Kuwait)
4. Mr. Enrique Celi (Uruguay)

No Federation Presidents, delegates or officials in FIDE of any national chess federation should accept any gifts, subsidy, inducements, financial or otherwise, or accept any hospitality from a Presidential or Continental electoral candidate, member, adviser or supporter of a Presidential ticket or electoral candidate. All Presidents, officials, delegates or candidates should immediately report any such offer to the Electoral Integrity Committee.

Officials include but are not limited to:

• Officers or any person with influence over the decision or voting processes of FIDE or any national chess federation/s including but not limited to Presidents or Delegates of such federations.
• Candidates for election to any FIDE or Continental positions
• Employees, administrators, managers, employed by FIDE or national chess federations

If, at any time, officials believe that there is any inappropriate behavior by a third party, they should contact the Electoral Integrity Committee and raise the matter for appropriate investigation and action.

FIDE rejects all political interference from governments in the conduct of the election including and not limited to: The lobbying of delegates by embassies or other governmental organisations. The Presidential Board notes this is also against the principles of the International Olympic Committee.

FIDE also advises that the details of the official travel subsidy for the Batumi Olympiad will be announced by Friday July 13th 2018. Any form of assistance, promises, inducements, or subsidy towards travel costs to the Olympiad by Candidates, advisors or supporters of any electoral candidates will be considered clearly as bribery.

The establishment of the Electoral Integrity Committee does not preclude any member of FIDE, FIDE official or the FIDE Presidential Board from referring any matter relating to the election directly to the FIDE Ethics Commission. A number of allegations of attempted bribery of delegates have already been brought to the attention of the Board.

Reports of officials delegates or candidates have to be submitted in writing to FIDE Secretariat, postal address: 9 Syggrou Avenue, 11743 Athens - Greece / Fax: (+30) 2109212859 / Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .