Anand Decries FIDE Favoritism

It isn't even worth getting excited about the FIDE's approach to the title anymore. I don't even know if 'world champion' even applies. It really isn't any different than what has happened in the past, but in the age of the internet and more complete reporting, it sucks even more. Check out Winter's article - amazing how it sounds like today: http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/disorder.html

I hope Vishy's comments are forwarded to the FIDE ethics committee and they are asked to either accept their follies or take action against Anand...

FIDE should be asked to change their "Gens una Sunus" to "New Format Everytime" as their actions would then make more sense then

haha..I knew it Mig that it wouldn't be too long before your next swipe at FIDE..this is a more appropriate place, I guess, for a comment in one of the earlier topics..

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3563574206685768080

Interesting how much Vishy Anand had to go through to actually 'reach' to Karpov for the WC title in '98 (do read the text alongside the video)..

They are busy with alien visits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCmHi50Mve0

Or journalists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larisa_Yudina Two men who confessed her murder were aides to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

Serious sponsors rarely want anything to do with Mr. Ilyumzhinov and his organization." Nigel Short, the British grandmaster who also opposed him, warned before the vote that "either FIDE stays a cowboy organisation mired in sleaze and shunned by corporate sponsors, or it becomes a modern, professional sporting body."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsan_Ilyumzhinov
Putin appointed Ilyumzhinov as the President of Kalmykia.

Kasparov: The Putin system works like the Mafia – and previously the Stalin regime. The leader says: "Politkowskaja is a pain in the neck, I don't want to hear anything more about her." And the apparatus solves the problem. http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4055

Kasparov: No, I have never met Putin. And I am not eager to do so. I have had to grapple with enough KGB people already, I don't need one more of them.

Topalov: Ilyumzhinov receives orders from high up (KGB). http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2007/07/special-report-about-topalov-and.html
http://www.fide.com/news/download/Ethic-Topalov.pdf

Bessel Kok: Global Chess is a private company, in majority funded by Mr. Ilyumzhinov. The aim of this enterprise, which reportedly commands an initial start-up capital of 4.5 million Euros, is the marketing of World Championships.
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4031

Kasparov: “It was a clear case of corruption. Putin himself met with fifteen members of the International Olympic Committee and had some very convincing monetary arguments in his briefcase. After he had won the bid in this way the state will invest twelve billion dollars in Sochi. You can count on it that most of the money will end up in the pockets of companies close to Putin. Incidentally, it would not surprise me at all if Putin became the next IOC President.” http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4055

As parliamentary and presidential elections approach, the State Duma has been busy amending the law. The political opposition warns that the new clauses will amount to a crackdown on freedom of expression. Under the new legislation no fewer than 13 aspects of extremism will become offenses. They include "public slander of state officials," "hampering the lawful activity of state organizations," "humiliating national pride," and "hooliganism committed for political or ideological motives."

Anand: “But I have stopped fretting over the world chess federation FIDE. They always do the same. It would be so nice if they did not keep discarding their own rules. I have learnt to accept the fact that FIDE will keep changing it rules and breaking them. It is pointless fighting against the impossible. The world chess federation will do anything it likes.”

Schmitt, Mainz org: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4046
“Words fail me. In general I get sick and tired of this haggling and the protection of vested rights of the world champions. I would love to become the council for the other 16 players in the top-20 to defend their rights…. There is no serious company that will be willing to show itself on the stage with Iljumshinov. Chess represents strategic management, handling foresightful, exact thinking, making decisions. These are qualities those responsible in FIDE do not have.”

"[FIDE] intends to build hotels in 165 countries. All hotels are said to be in the shape of chess figures...According to FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, at the first stage nearly US$1 billion is to be allotted for bringing the plans to life. The total cost of the project is estimated at US$50 billion. ... Another grandiose part of the FIDE project is building of a chess city that will consist of 32 hotels in the shape of chess in the UAE." http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/4516/

What is the message? If you voice your concerns publicly, you will be threatened with FIDE Ethics commission. Or killed? If you report it to the IOC, they will prefer a convincing briefcase argument. Who audits FIDE transactions? E&Y? Start there. In particular Moldova type of transactions (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3243679.stm): http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=1418

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin

From 1985 to 1990 the KGB stationed Putin in Dresden, East Germany. The 2008 Chess Olympiad in Dresden?

How is ensured safety of our children at 2007 FIDE’s World Youth Championship in Turkey?

http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Turkey-2.htm

Turkey is a major destination and transit country for women and children trafficked primarily for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Women and girls are trafficked from Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and other countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This year victims were also trafficked from Kenya, Nigeria, and the Philippines.

Human Trafficking countries – Russia, Turkey, and now Philippines, Nigeria.

Funny coincidence:
Kirsan Ilymzhinov, FIDE President – Russia
Florencio Campomanes, xFIDE President – Philippines
Emmanuel Omuku, xFIDE Executive Director – Nigeria
Ali Nihat Yazici, Turkey, FIDE Presidential Board Host (January 2007, November 2007)

TCF, Fastest growing chess federation, invested in their office €1 million, budget= €5 million / year: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3285

Of course, chess people have nothing to do with trafficking, just a funny coincidence.

You guys don't get it.
MIG is in the process doing an IPO, taking the Daily Dirt public. He is going to make hundreds of Millions(US$ 100,000,000). This thread is simply an (evil) marketing tactic do drive up traffic to his site and maximize his ill gotten gains.
The only thing that could connect sex to chess is MONEY.

Slightly off-topic, but since stringTheory brought up the Ethics Committee, does anyone know the results of their investigations of Topalov and Short?

3Pete,

You need to enter your post one more time in another thread to make it a true 3Pete.

The world champion is Kramnik. He became world champion by defeating Kasparov in a match held in London in 2000.

That said, somebody should please tell Kirsan that the world championship cycle wasn't broken until he fixed it.

"Slightly off-topic, but since stringTheory brought up the Ethics Committee, does anyone know the results of their investigations of Topalov and Short?"

From what I've heard, the decision on Topalov is expected soon.

Why is Garry Kasparov like an out of form golfer? They're both worried about Puttin'

Wild Bill,

The Kramnik-Kasparov "World Championship" issue has been debated here for a couple of years. You seem to forget that it was Kasparov that bolted the championship cycle and then he bolted chess altogether while it lay in ruins. There have been questionable decisions made in chess for the last 36 years and there is enough blame to go around. The saga continues.

Narendra,

Oooh, you might want to step away from the Laffy Taffy. It isn't worth it.

What happens in chess is quite natural, in my opinion: you have a few crazy people (the so called "chess professionals") who think they can make millions from an activity without much public appeal. The money does not appear, of course, and they are at the mercy of ANY lunatic who will bring money to the table (Kirsan).

Everyone who has ever criticized Kirsan, sooner or later ends up kissing his ass: from Kasparov to Bessel Kok, they all went with him when they thought it was to their personal benefit.

The reality is simple: it is NOT true that the lack of sponsorship is due to Kirsan or FIDE's corruption (and yes, Kirsan is a piece of sh*t and FIDE is utterly corrupt). The lack of sponsorship money is due to a lack of public interest in the game. That's all. If the public had a lot of interest in chess, all the weird behavior everyone criticizes would be celebrated (and perhaps even described as "typical genius behavior" - remember a young Fischer?)...

Kramnik and Topalov matches are an outcome of the constantly changing FIDE rules which led to champion being able to lose the title without a match and a challenger not getting a match he might have reasonably expected. I take the special provisions for them in the upcoming cycle as a way to bring the mess to a close: future cycles will have no such similar provisions.

If we take the more paranoid approach and assume that Kramnik and Topalov only got those matches because of their connections, then there still is not much harm done as long as a regular ordinary qualifier for the title shot exists. If the world's best player gets to play for the title every two years and say #3 and #5 also get a title shot in between, best man should still stay champion and we get a couple of bonus high-caliber classical chess matches. A lot of the problem stems from the fact that many people feel the new qualifier system is a crapshoot, unlikely to produce top challenger. In such circumstances, seeding somebody into a title match gives them an unfair advantage over every player who might claim to be the "#1 contender".

If poor vs rich federation is the issue, shouldn't Anand's beef be, at least partially, with the Indian chess organization and not with FIDE?

All these gyrations and the politics are sickening. Chess players at the top are always going to have their ranks shot full of big egos that expect special treatment. FIDE should be the organization that protects against it. They don't and probably never will.

I'm sure everyone has their preferred method of determining the cycle and candidates. Personally I'd like the top 8 rated players (minus current world champion) to play a series of matches against one another. Do it in the same way other organizations do it -- top rated against lowest rated. Whoever ends up at the top plays the champion for the title.

Too easy though.

Any other preferences out there on how the cycle _should_ be run?

Nice, Global Chess news: http://www.fide.com/news/download/GlobalChess-Opening.pdf

Mig, you live in NY. Did you meet Evsei Agron & Marat Balagula? Happened to know that the home of the Russian Mafia in America is in the Brighton Beach neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_mafia

"Many of the bosses and main members of the Russian mafia are believed to be ex-KGB officers. The Russian mafia is notorious for underground operations and clean transactions, it is known for its secrecy and unflamboyant manner. Backed by its extensive connection to the apparatchick power network of the Soviet Union, between 1992 and 1994 the Russian Mafia targeted the commercial centers of power, seizing control of the nation’s fragile banking system. Banking executives, reform-minded business leaders, even investigative journalists, were systematically assassinated or kidnapped."

"From what I've heard, the decision on Topalov is expected soon."

Thanks, acirce

Chessfanster,i agree your proposal,my proposal is similar but more simple,the 8 best ranked players including the champion playing a tournament of matches or a knockout format,this means 4 quarterfinals,2 semifinals,1 superfinal.For example 8 games every stage plus tiebreaks,total 24 games.We can produce a champion beating 3 oponents in a convincent way.I disagree the champion waiting for a challenger and getting the benefit of "retain" the title just because a tied match.I think the champion needs to prove why he is considered the best.I would like to see Mexico 2007 converted in a tournament of matches instead a roundrobin tournament.For example Kramnik could finally show to the world why he consider himself the best match player.Can he beat 3 opponents in a row playing his beloved match format?.

Poor Bessel, the only way that he could attract a few millions in financing is from Kirsan. Maybe he should take lessons from my friend who secured $80M for a new tool development, which may or may not see the light of the day.

ms, interesting links you posted, Kirsan is more f*cked up than I expected but at least he seems like a charming man from the pictures I've seen, maybe he actually is an alien, his brain was replaced onboard that UFO.

lol, what is so amusing about chess is that this is supposed to be some of the most intelligent people in the world, yet they are governed by some of the least intelligent...

Not when you're around, stendec, you comedian, you.

Walk bravely

My name is Moob
And let me be frank
Sooner or later
You’ll sell me your soul
For blood money
Of raped children
I will seduce you
And induce you
To be my slave
Don’t cross me
Our deal is final
End date at cemetery
Without redemption
Walk bravely into hell
As many before you

All those, individuals and organizations, who have managed to empty the "World Chess Champion" title of any meaning and bring discredit to the "Noble Game" ought to be deprived of any possibility to ever play chess again...

This is precisely why the ACP must take the World Title and World Ratings for GM's from FIDE. They have the absolute chance of taking the whole show from FIDE and organizing professional chess around the world, including the World Championship. Yet the ACP sits around wringing it's hands bitching about Hotels and prices. My God somebody needs to tell them Pros don't need FIDE. Let FIDE grind amateur chess into the ground. The ACP is perfectly capable of creating and strengthening a title system, and rating system all the while promoting professional chess, if they would collectively get off their butts and do it. Soviet style trade Unionism is dead. Take your opportunity before FIDE ruins chess for good.

Eo wrote:

"My God somebody needs to tell them Pros don't need FIDE."

And, where is the money these "professionals" *THINK* they deserve coming from, if they leave FIDE?

A guy like Kirsan would never be able to control a self-sufficient organization. He controls chess because HIS money is the ONLY money. Players (including Kasparov) hate him, but will kiss his ass because HIS is the only money.

If you have any doubt that this is the cruel reality, just look at what is left of Bessel Kok's promises for change and corporate sponsorship: the guy is working for Kirsan, WITH Kirsan's money!

Sad, but true.

"If you have any doubt that this is the cruel reality"

In fact, all the people who supported Right Move in last year's election had this doubt. They must've figured that while Kirsan is there the only money chess gets is from Kirsan, but when he's gone there will be other sources.

Hans-Walter Schmidt referred to the same in his interview before Mainz:

"There is no money in the chess world. There is no serious company that will be willing to show itself on the stage with Iljumshinov."

And Bessel Kok... when is the last time he raised some serious money? What are his connections?

Linux,

Kok was/is the force behind corporate sponsorship for Chorus (Wijk aan Zee) tournaments. That was possible for two reasons:

1. Kok was the president of the sponsoring company
2. Kok used his power within the company to fulfill his dream of helping chess and chessplayers, becuse he is a chess fan himself.

The point is that, THERE IS NO REAL CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP in chess: FIFE is run by Kirsan because he is the man with the money. Kok runs Corus because he is the man with the money/power. Linares is run by Luis Renteros in Francisco Franco-type of dictatorial manner because he is the man with the money. He had many clashes with top chessplayers because of this. But Renteros is the man with the greens, so if anyone wants to play in Linares, they must accept Renteros calling the shots, no matter what the conditions.

It is very different with real professional sports, where the Nike President is NOT the same person calling the shots everday in the NBA.

Chess has always lacked real corporate sponsorship, so players are always at the mercy of their "patrons" (hey, just a few years ago, this rich arab lady - Madame Nahed Ojjeh - was calling the shots in France! http://www.chessbase.com/events/events.asp?pid=171).

Truly depressing - for professional chess players, that is...

Vishy Anand is a realist. As long as FIDE's nexus of power remains in Eastern Europe then we who care about chess should not be surprised to continually experience the kind of Machiavellian politics the rest of the world - now including Garry Kasparov - experiences from this part of the world.

There are no American, Canadian or British tournament announcements at FIDE’s webpage. Example: no Las Vegas, no World Open, no US Open, no national tournaments. It clearly demonstrates geographical prejudice against chess organizers and players. But there are announcements of small tourneys in Eastern Europe with $200 prize fund. FIDE is ought to screw up about any chess promotion. Look at their Grand-Prix. “FIDE announced World Chess Grand Prix in February 2002. Scores from five events -- Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Bangalore (or Bombay), Dubrovnik, and Rio de Janeiro -- would be combined to produce an overall Grand Prix winner. The first FIDE Grand Prix was held in Dubai in April. The Dubai event was marred by reports that the announced prize fund of 480.000 US$ had been reduced without warning to 120.000 US$. FIDE President Ilyumzhinov blamed Octagon, the sports marketing firm hired to promote the events, and raised the prize fund to 240.000 US$. Octagon in turn blamed FIDE Commerce, the shadowy commercial arm of FIDE, for the debacle. The second Grand Prix event was held in Moscow in June. The other Grand Prix events were not held. Perhaps they were quietly cancelled at the same time that problems with FIDE Commerce disrupted the FIDE web site mid-year.” FIDE Commerce actually tried to deprive tournaments like Dortmund from their sponsors and channel this money into their company.

http://chess.about.com/library/weekly/aa02l28c.htm
“It is proposed that FIDE should negotiate with a number of category 15 and above tournaments of 9 rounds or more to be included in the Grand Prix on the basis that FIDE Commerce contributes to their prize fund and they in return grant commercial rights to FIDE Commerce." In an interview with FIDE Commerce head Artiom Tarasov and Octagon Marketing's Senior Vice-President Aidan Day in Interbusiness Magazine, FIDE business heads made it quite clear that they are prepared to muscle the game's traditional tournaments off the map if they don't accept their offer to join FIDE's Grand Prix. The offending passage reads: “In certain cases, for the progressive good of chess, we will organise new tournaments in the capital cities of some of these countries. This would be a slightly unfortunate situation for some events as the new Grand Prix events will be likely to take place at the same time as those events rejecting our proposal.” in response to what FIDE intends to do to events (like Linares, Wijk an Zee and Dortmund) that do not see the Grand Prix as an offer they cannot refuse. FIDE Commerce and Tarasov said, "We will destroy you. This is War", and declared that if Wijk Ann Zee refused to join FIDE Commerce, then FIDE would stop all the top players from competing at Wijk Ann Zee.
Now Global Chess (new FIDE Commerce) wants to do the same- screw up chess, chess organizers and their sponsors with some Grand-Prix.

http://www.chessnews.org/openletter.htm

Chess organizers do not need FIDE, nor FIDE Commerce to run their tournaments, and get major sponsors. ACP can easily manage ratings, they are about 100 times more competent. How much Grand-Slam tournaments attract in funding – over $2M each year? This is $20M in 10 years. And without FIDE. Actually, FIDE cronies are major obstacles. No corporation will invest to have their brand name tarnished with dubious organization or tournaments.

KGB puts a few millions in chess, only for chess to lose $50M/yr or more in corporate sponsorships, and therefore keeps everything “under control”, creates dependency, and uses FIDE for their own purposes.

"I hope Vishy's comments are forwarded to the FIDE ethics committee and they are asked to either accept their follies or take action against Anand... "

I don't think you quite get this whole "ethics" business, if you think disagreeing with policy is the same as accusing somebody of cheating.

"Human Trafficking countries – Russia, Turkey, and now Philippines, Nigeria."

Both Human trafficking and FIDE politics tend to thrive in highly corrupt countries. So while it may just be a coincidence, it is also an interesting correlation.
=========
"It is very different with real professional sports, where the Nike President is NOT the same person calling the shots everday in the NBA."

True: In the NBA games, it is literally the referee who calls the shots. In a recent instance, one of the referees was taking payouts from gamblers, in return for influencing the results of the games.

"[FIDE] intends to build hotels in 165 countries. All hotels are said to be in the shape of chess figures...According to FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, at the first stage nearly US$1 billion is to be allotted for bringing the plans to life. The total cost of the project is estimated at US$50 billion. ... Another grandiose part of the FIDE project is building of a chess city that will consist of 32 hotels in the shape of chess in the UAE." http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/4516/
========
In the UAE? That would be great! Of course, they'd have to make sure that none of the Chess Piece shaped buildings would resemble or represent human or animal form, since doing otherwise would risk running afoul of Islamic injunctions. A Bishop shaped building would be the most problematic, for obvious reasons.

Such a project would not be without precendent, at least with respect to scale:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Islands

Only 165 countries are slated to get chesspiece shaped hotels? That still leaves a few dozen countries that will have to do without.

Since the issue came up here recently, I figure it is the least bad thread to put off-topic news in. The Ethics Commission has ruled. Topalov gets "a severe reprimand" and a warning. Danailov gets nothing but "a reprimand".

"- Mr. Veselin Topalov is sanctioned with a severe reprimand.

- In the case of any serious similar breach against the FIDE Code of Ethics within the next 12 months, this judgment will be considered by the EC as a precedent and Mr. Veselin Topalov could be imposed with a suitable fine and could be excluded from participation in all FIDE tournaments for at least a one-year period.

- Mr. Silvio Danailov’s conduct violated art. 2.2.9 and 2.2.11 of FIDE Code of Ethics.

- Mr. Silvio Danailov is sanctioned with a reprimand."

Entire document at http://www.fide.com/news/download/Judgement04-06.pdf

Some parts of the complaint were entirely dismissed. Some interesting things there but let's perhaps wait to analyse it further until there is a thread about it.

The rumour here in Greece is that Topalov asked for the videotapes of Elista to be examined by FIDE. After that he would even apologize to Kramnik if he was wrong.

FIDE requested the videotapes from Elista but they were never sent. Therefore, the Ethics Commission had no other possibility but to only let Topalov get away with a "severe reprimand"...

Short got a warning for calling Azmaiparashvili a dunderhead.

Judging by the contents of that judgment, the rumour is correct.

"The rumour here in Greece..."

So that's where all that smoke is coming from.

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