No candidate reaches the ballot without African federations actively signing his papers. Freedom says it puts more than $15 million a year into chess and has invested $75 million over three years. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who ran FIDE for 23 years and had the Russian federation’s endorsement, never filed before the deadline. For African federations the exposure is concrete. African federations are, this September, among the few parties with the standing to insist it acquires one.