Former world champion Garry Kasparov is hoping to take over the top job in the World Chess Federation.

Kasparov is a renowned vocal critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The chess master is challenging Kirsan Ilyumzhinov – a wealthy businessman known to be supported by Putin. Ilyumzhinov once famously claimed to have visited an alien spaceship.

He has headed the governing body of chess for 19 years.

In 1985 Kasparov became the youngest chess world champion – at age 22.

He has accused Ilyumzhinov of  “working with Russian oligarchs in the Kremlin.”

The chess federation will choose the winner today  in the Norwegian Arctic city of Tromsoe – during the 2014 Chess Olympiad.