Kasparov vs Ilyumzhinov: the FIDE Presidency battle begins

[Nigel Short]

Kirsan and his lackeys up to their usual tricks http://www.thefidetrainer.com/2014/06/s ... eeman.html

[Stewart Reuben]

There has been at least one occasion when more votes in total were promised to the candidates than there were votes. That must be in the last 20 years, prior to that votes were public.
Of course there was the allegation that, in order to collect your bribe, you had to photograph your ballot paper, with your mobile phone, to demonstrate you were entitled to your bribe. This year I believe mobile phones are being banned. It isn't clear to that it better to vote in private rather than a visible ballot box with a piece of paper.

I think the BCF discussed mandating their delegate to vote in a specific way, possibly in 1994 or 1996. I advised the Board against that as the situation was too fluid to tie our delegate down. I have no difficulty with a mandate this year for the FIDE Presidency. It is unlikely to be fluid. The ECU Presidency is somewhat different. Which is the best candidate might emerge after the result of the FIDE Presidential election.

A good manager tries to help find his best successor.

I don't like the FIDE System of voting for a whole slate. That may prevent the best officers being appointed. In that way the ECF is better. But I do like the FIDE System where there are a number of members of the PB and the posts are awarded depending on the interests and abilities of the people available. The ECF goes some way in that direction as the character of the post changes depending on the officer responsible.

[Nigel Short]

Evidence of blatant vote-rigging by Kirsan, Freeman and Co. http://fidexfiles.blogspot.gr/2014/06/t ... -like.html

[Stewart Reuben]

In my presence Nigel Freeman has sought to be totally unbiased in his comments. (Of course he may have amended his behaviour because I was there.)

Both Peter Long and Ignatius Leong have, in their time, done good things for chess. But one has to realise with whom your are dealing and their characteristics when they make comments.

Actually I am having difficulty thinking of anybody whose effect on chess can be said to be wholly deleterious to the game. And even fewer who had baleful intent. Of course some are self-serving and rationalise their actions.

[Roger de Coverly]

Evidence of blatant vote-rigging by Kirsan, Freeman and Co.

Gabon played at the 2008 Olympiad
http://www.olimpbase.org/teams/gab_tea.html
so they aren't a FIDE new member.

There's usually a dispute about which is the "official" federation at least once every Olympiad. I thought there were supposed to a number of procedures, more often than not requiring a vote in the General Assembly.

The next link is one of Sam Sloan's, but it describes what happened in 2000 when the Philippines had two chess federations.
http://www.anusha.com/day-13.htm

This is what the FIDE site gave as the national federation in Gabon this time last year
http://web.archive.org/web/201303082141 ... ry&fid=164, showing Gabon to have joined FIDE in 2007.

and this is what it now shows
http://www.fide.com/fide/directory/memb ... ry&fid=164

[Nigel Short]

Stewart, you staunchly supported Andrew Paulson - yes, he of the profoundly unethical, secret, signed Agon agreement - with your e-mail to the ECF Board of February 4th, begging the Board not to remove him. Later you bizarrely claimed credit for having persuaded him to resign. Were it not for considerable contributions to English chess over the years, and your advanced age, I would have been a bit harsher about the very unhelpful role you have played during the last several months. The article http://fidexfiles.blogspot.gr/2014/06/t ... -like.html contains very serious and specific allegations, which you have totally ignored. All you have said, in essence, is that Nigel Freeman has always been decent to you. So what? Can we please focus on matters of substance for a change...

[Roger de Coverly]

In my presence Nigel Freeman has sought to be totally unbiased in his comments.

The audit trail is clear enough. FIDE have replaced in their directory, the organisation they recognised in 2007 and allowed to participate as Gabon in the 2008 Olympiad. The question perhaps is why. You wouldn't want FIDE to suddenly ignore the ECF and replace it by the ECA, although no doubt the ECF wrote to FIDE in 2004 or 2005 informing them that it would replace the BCF and the directory information was changed.

[Nigel Short]

Roger, since 2012, we now have an independent Electoral Commission. This is entirely due to the changes brought about in the FIDE statutes by the court case which was initiated by the ECF (and Georgia). Prior to this, the General Assembly would decide which federation was valid. Thus the (pro-Karpov) Peruvian vote was hijacked in 2010, despite the disenfranchised Delegate having all supporting documentation from the Peruvian Sports Ministry.

[Stewart Reuben]

Nigel S, perhaps you are overlooking the difference between the Board removing Andrew Paulson, which they did not do, and Andrew Paulson resigning, which he did do, after I advised him this would be best for English chess. My advice may not have been why he resigned, but probably contributed.
I try to support elected officials for their period of office, unless I disagree vehemently with them.

[Roger de Coverly]

Roger, since 2012, we now have an independent Electoral Commission.

Shouldn't it be adjudicating on the Gabon then?

FIDE surely cannot be claiming that the Bongo led federation never existed as it left electronic footprints all over the place.

http://www.postzambia.com/post-print_ar ... leId=11218

[Roger de Coverly]

the difference between the Board removing Andrew Paulson, which they did not do, and Andrew Paulson resigning, which he did do

Under English Company Law, it's quite difficult, if not impossible, for a Board to remove a Director without the support of the voting membership, which is the ECF Council in this context. So an EGM or equivalent would have been needed to get the ECF Council to agree or otherwise, that being the body that had elected him in the first place. If you can persuade a Director to resign, you remove the time, expense and conflict of an additional meeting and contested vote.

[NickFaulks]

Nick,
If you fancy a bet, why not a spread bet on the number of nations supporting Kasparov. Why don't you propose a range?
Matt

Yes, I'd wondered about that. One problem is the makeup if there is no election. Zero would clearly be a distortion, as would te cancellation of bets. I'm thinking a floor of 40 for a withdrawing candidate, and a ceiling of 120 for his opponent.

Kasparov/Karpov got 55 last time, we're told Leong has promised 10 will turn over, so to get something started I'd make 62-68 in Kasparov votes. No FIDE officials may play.

I'd like any bets to be published here, but don't know whether Carl would approve that use of the site. Maybe private messages?

[David Sedgwick]

Here's an interesting bet that might be worth looking at the odds on: that at least one nation will declare for one candidate in the run-up to the election and then vote for the other in the election.

Isn't a secret vote? How would you know how the delegate ultimately voted?

Nevertheless, I can collect on that one.

The delegate of one of the Federations which nominated Ilyumzhinov has informed me (in a private email, but I have it as proof if needed) that he will in fact be voting for Kasparov.

Nigel Short has said there will be a considerable number of such cases. He's right in one instance at least.

Another Federation declared for Kasparov and subsequently nominated Ilyumzhinov. Can I collect on the bet whatever they ultimately decide to do?

(No, I'm not going to name names.)

[NickFaulks]

I believe and hope that an orderly retirement will be arranged over the next four years.

In similar circumstances, the leader on his way to retirement might pick his likely successor: do you see anyone already chosen as likely successor?

No.

[Roger de Coverly]

Another Federation declared for Kasparov and subsequently nominated Ilyumzhinov. Can I collect on the bet whatever they ultimately decide to do?

(No, I'm not going to name names.)

It may be a special case perhaps because there's a fight as to which organisation is legitimate. An organisation recognised by FIDE for several years as representing the Gabon met with and declared for Kasparov. A week or two later, they were substituted in the FIDE Directory on undisclosed grounds by an organisation which then proceeded to be on the list of Kirsan nominees.

The ICU declared for Kasparov. Notwithstanding their notorious internal disputes, there isn't another body waiting in the wings, so I presume they are safe. Guernsey entertained the FIDE President last weekend ( it's on the Guernsey website). Their website only mentions the competition for European small nations which Guernsey are due to host. In 2010 they (Guernsey) rejected the Life Presidency. Will they maintain that position in 2014?