Slipping in one more Kasparov item before the Kramnik-Leko match starts up again. GK just arrived in Turkey, where he will be playing in the Euro Club Championship starting next week. There is a brief item on his presence in a Turkish paper online.
When I talked to Kasparov today he said he was "in the middle of nowhere" 100 kilometers from the event site of Cesme. The Turks run these events on a for-profit basis, something that has brought them into conflict with the ACP on occasion. Kasparov called the energetic organizer and federation chief Ali Nihat Yazici "sort of a Turkish Bill Goichberg."
Kasparov arrived early to finally focus on chess and train for a few days after so much running around in the past few months. Last year in this event he started very strongly, winning four games in a row, several of them excellent, before blundering into the ugliest loss of his career against Huzman. That's what a combination of age and lack of practice will do to you. Kasparov hasn't played since June.
Yup, age and lack of practice are real killers. :)
Kasparov knows Goichberg?
Not sure, actually. At the very least he clearly knows OF him. But he's been dealing with the USCF lately regarding the US women's training squad, or at least his Foundation has.
As for Garry's "dealing" with the USCF I recall his lobbying for Campo's re-election in 1994 and how it impacted USCF politics.
Fan Adams who was a long time US representative in FIDE went to Moscow that year in clear understanding that the vote should go to Kouatly. Just before the voting he received instructions from New Windsor to throw support to the new Campo/Kasparov ticket.
Fan ended up quitting in disgust.
In the face of the rift between the warring factions Fred Gruenberg, the most pro-Kasparov chess politician in the US (this side of Max Dlugy), asked the leading players for their support. He didn't get it and also decided to step down.
I am far from blaming GK for the ongoing USCF problems, they are way too complex to be caused by one person.
The point is, we can hardly expect Garry Kasparov work with the USCF in the best interest of American chessplayers. He just happens to have other priorities.
The whole story about the US Women Olympic Team has been discussed over and over again. We just have to wait for the results of their training and preparation. Two more weeks.