An audio recording attributed to Mark Glukhovsky, an adviser to FIDE presidential candidate Timur Turlov, has circulated widely on social media just ahead of the International Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, containing remarks described as insulting and discriminatory toward the leadership of Uzbekistan's National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Uzbek people.
The Ukrainian Chess Federation released the recording, in which Glukhovsky — a former official of the Russian Chess Federation — is heard discussing schemes to bribe delegates and manipulate the vote ahead of FIDE's 2018 presidential election. The recording also includes derogatory comments about the NOC leadership and Uzbeks more broadly.
In the audio, the person identified as Glukhovsky tells his interlocutor about organizing efforts to bribe delegates and rig the voting process before the 2018 FIDE presidential race.
That year, Glukhovsky served as campaign manager for Arkady Dvorkovich, Russia's former deputy prime minister, who went on to win the election. Dvorkovich retained the FIDE presidency four years later, though his 2022 re-election campaign was also marked by controversy. He was forced to step down as FIDE president in July 2026 after the European Union imposed personal sanctions against him.
Turlov, a Russian-born businessman who holds Kazakh citizenship, is described as a close associate of Dvorkovich. He is running as a candidate in the 2026 FIDE presidential election, set to take place during the FIDE General Assembly in Samarkand on September 26-27.
In the recording, Glukhovsky is also heard using derogatory language about Otabek Umarov, first deputy chairman of Uzbekistan's National Olympic Committee, dismissing the host country's standing. His tone reportedly shifts noticeably once he realizes his interlocutor knows Umarov holds a senior position.
At another point, Glukhovsky claims Uzbeks' opinions carry no weight, characterizing them as people driven purely by self-interest who will pledge loyalty to whoever is convenient at the time.
Glukhovsky resigned as executive director of the Russian Chess Federation in January 2026. Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin, commenting at the time to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, said he did not see Glukhovsky as capable of developing the sport, adding that he welcomed the departure and questioned whether Glukhovsky was suited to the task given that "he doesn't live in Russia."
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