As has now been documented here at ChessBase.com, the January Dubai match between FIDE champ Kasimdzhanov and FIDE #1 Kasparov has been terminated. At least negotiations with the Dubai guys have been cut off and there is no hope of a match anywhere before April or May.
Sheik Mohammad's negotiator was such a sweet talker that had just about everyone believing it was for real. (But not Kasparov, who was called a liar by Ilyumzhinov assistant Balgabaev when he publicly denounced the status of the Dubai negotiations.) FIDE has again been proven a band of inept fabulists. Now the spotlight falls on Turkish federation honcho Ali Nihat Yazici, who has been criticizing the Dubai bid and saying he's sure he can bring K-K to Turkey.
That gives FIDE more time to say something intelligent about their plans for after the match. Yesterday Kasparov joked that getting a match to happen was harder than playing in one. Making it a useful step toward unification will be even harder. To get Kramnik to buy in (or at least to put pressure on him to do so), FIDE needs a blueprint for where they want things to go after a match between the Kasimdzhanov-Kasparov winner and Kramnik. The old last-second dictatorship knock-out isn't going to cut it. Recognizing the ACP and beginning work - in public - on an acceptable WC cycle would be a start.
Is anyone else starting to suspect that maybe Ilyumzhinov doesn't want reunification?
Here's a guy who can put together dozens of grandmasters in knockout matches with millions of dollars in prizes over the years. But he can't organize two guys for one match for one million (or so)?
Without bothering to sign Kasparov, Pono, or Kasim, and without nailing down earnest money he continually announces matches that don't pan out.
He clearly likes the knockout/quickplay format and probably thinks its winner should be recognized as the World Chess Champion. Is this why the FIDE's portion of reunification just never gets off the ground? It steals thunder from his big tournament.
Kasparov could have had a fair shot at Kramnik if he'd played in the Dortmund Candidates, so he can't complain. But he must be feeling like Charlie Brown--every year Lucy letting go of the football just when Charlie's about to kick it.
At what point does Kasparov give up on FIDE, abandon his rematch crusade, agree to be seeded into in a candidates tournament, and support an ACP effort to establish a just and enduring world championship cycle?
And I thought Kasparov gave up on FIDE in 1993 ;-)
Who does rely on FIDE?
I think Kirsan wanted unification. Thats why he lied and said everythign was a wrap by ACPs deadline.
Kasparov can't join ACPs effort to create a new championship cycle until there is an "effort" to join. Is there an effort from ACP? I hope Kramnik Kasparov and those in FIDE and ACP agree with Mig. We need to get the specific blue prints for future cycles.
It woul be great if we could have another world championship match between Kramnik and Kasparov while that cycle is going on. But IMO the critical thing is to get a *great* system of future cycles firmed up and rolling ASAP. (I think the ASAP wording was used in the prague agreement)
I think Kasparov himself has lost some interest in this match. These days he has become philosophical. May be, for him, nothing much to prove. He has accomplished everything in Chess. Maybe he is enjoying the stillness of life. He says if there is a match, he will play, if not its OK too.
NYC He wants to beat Kramnik in a match. There aint nothing like a comeback. He has done many things other champions have never done. But I think there is one in particular he'd like to do. Come back after everyone counts him out and take the championship again. He will have been the best of those older than him and better than those younger too. In otherwords untouchable. I think deep down Kasparov believes he owns this game and no one can *possibly* be better than him - even now.
Ditto niceforkinmove. Kasparov has said that he really wants Kramnik again, and his clearest path is to beat Kasimdzhanov. Not that Kramnik will necessarily grant Garry a rematch (see Vlady's recent comments), but any other path will take longer, and at his age, time is not on Garry's side.
Kasparov is a victim of his own devices. He's the one who created the chaos. Now he knows what poor Shirov went through.
Isn't it ironic that Kasparov now depends of FIDE? Why? Because he doesn't have the title and he's willing to put up with all sorts of humiliating situations to get it back. It shows us a champion with great drive, but very little sense of morals.
Kasparov doesn't have any moral authority to criticize FIDE. He's willing to do business with criminals ( Ilyumzhinov ), he must be man enough to face the consequences. That's all there's to it.
If Kasparov has an ounce of dignity, he will never again sit on a negotiation table with these characters.
Pretty pathetic that the greatest player ever, after having achieved everything that can be achieved in chess, has to go through this. But, once again, this is self-inflicted.
An off topic question for MIG: What are the chances of Kasparov getting a late invite to Wijk an Zee now he has some space in his diary?
I fully agree with Irvin. Kasparov's problems
are self-inflicted. He is paying the price for
his amoral and selfish attitude in the past. He
should have participated in Dortmund qualifier
instead of being at FIDE's mercy).
Balgabaev seems to have called Kaspy a liar wrt
his claim that Turkey is ready with the money and
guarantees. Till Turkish federation can show
the money, we won't know which of the two is the
liar. Although, I am not sure why the match is
scheduled for Spring if Turkey has the money.
Kapalik
Another thing: Since the match is postponed, why can't Kasparov play in Wijk unless he is chicken and scared of losing rating points and #1 ranking?
Let's not forget that Kramnik was criticized by many Kaspy fans and friends for dropping out a month after his exhausting match.
Kapalik
I dont think Kasparov can just play where ever he wants, didn't he already decline due to the kasim match?
If Kasparov were chicken and scared about losing rating points, he wouldn't have played in the Russian Superfinal (in which Kramnik was originally expected to participate), and he wouldn't be playing in Linares (which he has already accepted).
Kasparov declined Wijk because it conflicted with the anticipated dates for the Kasimdzhanov match. I see no reason to doubt that this is truly the case.
Kapalik might have been sarcastic. The notion that Kasparov is ducking Kramnik, for example, because of this makes just as little sense as the idea of Kramnik avoiding Kasparov because he withdrew from the Russian Ch on doctor's recommendation after a strenous WC match.
The latter was accepted by a lot of people as at least plausible, though, because of a prevailing anti-Kramnik bias.
As circe says, sarcasm was part of my criticism of Kasparov as Kramnik has been crucified for far less.
My point also is that the original argument that Kaspy had for skipping Wijk (match with Kasim) doesn't hold any more. If he genuinely interested in participating, I am sure that the Wijk organizers will make every effort to include him (after all, he is still the top draw in chess).
Kapalik
As for the accusations against Balgabaev made in the chessbase.com article by Odessky, he himself completely denies this with the words "The imagination of journalist some times is absolutely inpredictible" in an e-mail I just received. Odessky may or may not speak the truth, we don't know. It's one person's version of something that happened in a confusing situation. Better is to read the official and formal letter from Makropoulos at http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2038 where it is explicitely denied that Kasparov was lying.
I already posted that the Corus Wijk aan Zee field has been complete since November 9. (Judit Polgar completed the field.) They aren't going to kick someone out to include Kasparov or anyone else. Nor should they. They Corus organizers are classy individuals who aren't going to damage the integrity of a classic event by shoving someone out when Kasparov or another high-rated player becomes available. I'm sure Kapalik would be the first to attack the Corus organizers and Kasparov for such elitist affrontery if they did so. If someone drops out, you never know. That's why he played in 1999.
Speaking of dodging, however, Kramnik just dropped out of Linares.
Dropped out? I saw that Kramnik committed to Corus, but must have missed the report of his committing to play in Linares.
Mig,
What is the source of the news about Kramnik dropping out? I haven't seen it at any site.
If true, it is fairly surprising. Kramnik's safe SEC style is better suited for Linares (a +1 or +2 is good enough for one of the top positions and you don't lose rating points) than Wijk where more aggressive play is called for. For that reason, traditionally he has done better at Linares than Wijk.
If there was one tournament he had to pick, he should have picked Linares. Unless he wanted to avoid Kasparov.
Kapalik
Kramnik said that he was going to take several months off after his match with Leko. I suspect that he is still not ready to re-enter the playing arena. There is no reason for him to fear Kasparov, who hasn't beaten Kramnik in a classical game in several years.
Kapa, that's exactly what I said when I talked to Garry. Linares is much more Kramnik's style of event. Not losing and scoring +1 can win in Linares, while there is almost no chance of his keeping up with Anand or whoever else gets hot at Corus and scores +4 or +5. I'd love to see Kramnik play more aggressively and prove me wrong, of course. Last year at Corus he was rusty, tried some new openings (the Najdorf?!?) and finished only even. I hope that didn't convince him to revert to "Mr. +2" mode this time around.
I'd like to hear more about Kramnik dropping out of Linares. I have a feeling my Kramnik-O-Meter is gonna go off the charts again...
Then again, maybe they'll get another fighter in there. Someone like Topalov, or Shirov if they don't have them already.
I can hear the "Kramnik is avoiding Kasparov" talks continue.
Sheesh.
JUST NOW has Mig put a new article on Linares on the Daily Dirt page, rendering my previous message mute. Nevermind!
I just posted a new topic for Linares. I don't have details on Kramnik, but he was on the original participants list and a later one as well. To my knowledge he was replaced by Kasimdzhanov only last week.
All I have ever heard is "Kramnik invited, awaiting confirmation". Yes, of course the "Kramnik avoiding Kasparov" nonsense will hot up again. In contrast to how there never was any "Kasparov avoiding Kramnik" equivalent when the former stayed out of the supertournaments the latter played in.