Kasparov vs Ilyumzhinov: the FIDE Presidency battle begins

[Paolo Casaschi]

Mark says you need to read articles in Russian, and was quoting that as 1 in English - I don't think those who support Kirsan would be convinced by anything, though

I don't read Russian, unfortunately. I'm not sure what you think you need to convince me about. However, if you think there's anything negative or derogatory about KI in the article linked above, please feel free to point that out.

[David Sedgwick]

The election has been thrown into confusion by the news that a significant number of teams and delegates may be unable to get to the Olympiad.

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... rway-.html

They can still appoint proxies, but will they?

[Roger de Coverly]

The election has been thrown into confusion by the news that a significant number of teams and delegates may be unable to get to the Olympiad.

We know the Norwegian government was leant on to provide more funding when more teams applied than budgeted, so is this their revenge, instructing their embassies to make it difficult for teams from countries that haven't exchanged diplomatic niceties with Norway to attend? The usual approach for members of Schengen that aren't represented is for one of the countries that are, to be the proxy. So Norway would use the services of the Dutch, French, Germans etc. For that matter it's an implied condition of bidding to host any international event that visa difficulties will be set aside as far as possible.

In 2008, half the Ugandan team couldn't get to Dresden.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

They can still appoint proxies, but will they?

Proxies for the elections, maybe, but that would be difficult for those playing chess.

[David Sedgwick]

We know the Norwegian government was leant on to provide more funding when more teams applied than budgeted, so is this their revenge, instructing their embassies to make it difficult for teams from countries that haven't exchanged diplomatic niceties with Norway to attend?

As far as I'm aware, Norway has diplomatic relations with the countries in question. The problem is that they don't have embassies in those countries.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Hmm.

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... rway-.html

"I wonder whether this problem will be solved before the decision on the Winter Olympic Games 2022 is taken, and in case of a positive solution, whether it can also refer to the coming event in Tromso."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Winter_Olympics

Bids from Oslo (Norway), Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Beijing (China).

"The IOC Executive Board will review the bids from all applicant cities in July 2014 and then select candidate cities. The host city will be elected one year later, on 31 July 2015, at the 127th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur."

It's interesting Kirsan mentions this in his open letter (see first quote above).

[Chris Rice]

It's interesting Kirsan mentions this in his open letter (see first quote above).

Isn't this a clever piece of arm-twisting by Illyumzhinov? ie Get this sorted Norway or you'll be in danger of losing the Olympics.

Meanwhile in the Presidential campaign the battle ground on the 6 July became Zambia with both candidates visiting at the same time. Both sides see the vote here as crucial. One of the statements made by Kasparov quoted in the press defied belief:

"We made an offer to the Zambian federation. We started with chess development in schools. We also want to assist your team to go to the Olympics. We will cover all the expenses and we do understand that Zambia has a FIDE vice-president and we do understand that it is an argument that is used against us," Kasparov said. "As a new FIDE president, I will be in a position to appoint five vice-presidents. If you are willing to join us, I guarantee your representation will not be downgraded. You will have vice-president from Zambia."

As you would expect Ilyumzhinov had plenty to say in response on his site including:

"We note that the 13th World Champion has resorted to methods that have nothing to do with fair play. Assisted by his team member Ms. Afrika Msimang, Kasparov attempted to stage a little coup within the Chess Federation of Zambia by replacing the current Zambian delegate to the upcoming FIDE Congress with “his own” man."

and

"And another minor, but telling detail. Mr. Kasparov was aware that FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was in Zambia on a working visit, and so he intentionally protracted his presentation to the Federation leadership to last two hours. The 13th World Champion’s intention was to leave no time for his opponent to interact with Zambian chess players. However, it was precisely this plan that backfired against the former World Champion, according to an official present at the event. “Paradoxically, Kasparov did everything to “secure” his loss to Ilyumzhinov. Everybody present at the meeting was left with the impression that they were dealing with a rude, power-hungry person running for FIDE Presidency purely to achieve his own personal objectives of political nature.”

On the positive side I guess we are seeing plenty of publicity for the Tromso Olympiad, even if all of it is bad so far.

http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_art ... leId=51202

http://fidefirst.com/?p=3066

[Kevin Thurlow]

Norway is a bit careful who it lets into the country.

"I would like to mention this has no precedents in the history of FIDE and probably not in any other sport. "

is rubbish - it happens all the time.

[NickFaulks]

is rubbish - it happens all the time.

Individual cases, yes, but I can't remember anything on this scale.

[Chris Rice]

is rubbish - it happens all the time.

Individual cases, yes, but I can't remember anything on this scale.

I'm genuinely confused as to what's gone on here. The letter from Illyumzhinov seems to indicate this has all somehow come out of the blue and the Norwegians are getting a bashing over it. However, the issues over getting into Norway are not new so why has this been such a surprise? In addition, I have seen the Norwegians extend the deadline for two weeks to get Schengen visas, waive these fees in some cases (such as Malawi) and they have funded some of these countries to support their efforts to get Schengen visas.

For example that well known chess powerhouse, Palau, is taking 11 people to Tromso and they will have to stop over in the Phillipines to get their Schengens. The Norwegians are giving each player $932 out of the Travel Fund which is done according to distance. The farthest from Tromso would be New Zealand who can claim up to $1,200 per player.

Their has to be a limit as to how much the Norwegians can be expected to fork out and we all know they have had trouble getting the necessary funding from their own government recently to such an extent that the Olympiad itself was in doubt for a few days.

[NickFaulks]

You will have vice-president from Zambia."

Which tells every other African nation that they will not.

[JustinHorton]

Too bad appears to be the answer on visas.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The thought had crossed my mind that the reason some delegates are having problems getting visas is that they only 'became' delegates very late on after some switch and bait tactics (one 'federation' replacing another), and hence are applying rather late in the day. Is that a plausible scenario?

[Roger de Coverly]

Is that a plausible scenario?

It is unfortunately plausible given the way that FIDE elections are conducted or have been conducted in the past, that it may be supporters of the "wrong" side who are struggling with visas or to get Norwegian Embassies to facilitate rather than hinder the issuing of visas. With it being a Shengen visa, any EU embassy should be able to issue them.

If "small" nations host international events featuring competitors from even smaller nations, isn't this going to become an increasing international sporting and cultural problem? It's a give with one hand and take away with the other approach as they facilitated participation by a travel fund and then made getting visas difficult and expensive.

I had the idea that the Tromso organisation tended to be in the Kasparov camp.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I had assumed, with Kirsan issuing this open letter, that his supporters are having problems getting visas. Or maybe he is concerned that there will be no teams there to actually play chess. It is probably affecting supporters of both sides, but in what proportion is not clear. My point was that if the FIDE accredited federations changed late in the day (an absolutely disgraceful practice, IMO), the 'new' delegates may not have realised until recently that they were needed in Tromso to vote, and have only just started applying for visas. If so, the word karma springs to mind. i.e. a self-inflicted problem.