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Kadyrov Elected Head of North Caucasus Chess Federation

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov will get to add another sports position to his resume after a chess federation unanimously elected him as its head on Monday.

The election was held in Grozny during the inaugural congress of the Chess Federation for the North Caucasus Federal District. It was unclear whether Kadyrov had any rivals for the job.

“If the federation starts developing as dynamically as the Chechen Republic, it will become a leader in the Russian Federation,” Artur Shakhmurzov, head of the chess federation of Kabardino-Balkaria, said about Kadyrov's election, the Rosbalt news agency reported.

Kadyrov follows in the footsteps of another regional head, Kalmykia's Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who is the incumbent leader of the World Chess Federation. He faces tough competition to hold on to the post from former chess master Anatoly Karpov in upcoming September elections.

Kadyrov, a skilled ex-boxer, heads Chechnya's boxing federation and is president of Grozny's Terek football club. He also is an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.

He had no immediate comment about his election to the chess federation.

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