Kasparov vs Ilyumzhinov: the FIDE Presidency battle begins

[Roger de Coverly]

do you see anyone already chosen as likely successor?

FIDE is increasing looking like the mind-sports wing of the Russian Government. So assuming they can see off the challenge from Kasparov, to what extent will Putin and his government continue to support the alien lover in 2018? They could pull the plug on Kirsan and support Filatov ( now President of the Russian Chess Federation). I would have thought that choice more acceptable to the hard core of anti-Kirsan Federations , who, not that it matters in electoral terms, represent a rather large number of chess players and have structures that enable the views of those players to be expressed.

[David Sedgwick]

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?

I wasn't referring to Gabon (nor to Guernsey). In the case in question, assuming the nomination of Ilyumzhinov is genuine, the officers seem to have simply changed their minds. One to Ilyumzhinov.

[Roger de Coverly]

In the case in question, assuming the nomination of Ilyumzhinov is genuine, the officers seem to have simply changed their minds. One to Ilyumzhinov.

Never mind the officials, did they feel any need to consult the local players?

[Stewart Reuben]

I had to read Roger's last query three times for it to begin to make some sense. What do the players have to do with it?

[Roger de Coverly]

What do the players have to do with it?

You don't think that participants in a mind sport should have any say in who is the president of the international or national organisations that promote or administer it? It's a very common view of administrators that they know best.

[Stewart Reuben]

Good lord. Do I have to put a smiley by every sarcastic comment I make?
It's like when I was a schoolteacher. The job would have been wonderful - except for the pupils.

[Nigel Short]

Does the voluble General Secretary of the Bermuda Chess Association, Nick Faulks, have anything to say about the apparently totally illegal disenfranchisement of Gabon and Afghanistan by his best buddy, and President, Nigel Freeman? Or is he still pretending to be "neutral" (almost as laughably as Andrew Paulson's claim to be independent of Kirsan) ?

[Roger de Coverly]

The ECF have now endorsed the Kasparov ticket.

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... tement.pdf

[Jonathan Rogers]

It may have taken a while to appear (insert favourite joke/comment) but it is very well written.

[Chris Rice]

Meanwhile the Canadians have gone another way ....

Dear Friends,
The Chess Federation of Canada has been following the FIDE Presidential campaign with continued interest. After lengthy consideration our Executive has opted to endorse Kirsan Ilyumzhinov for FIDE President.
Best regards,
Hal Bond
FIDE Delegate, Canada

This was followed up by Kevin "utter b*ll*cks" Spraggett's web site which said:

"Canada votes for ILYUMZHINOV

BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!

I have this afternoon been informed by Vladimir Drkulec, the president of the Canadian Chess Federation (CFC), that it has been decided to cast the Canadian VOTE for Kirsan Ilyumzhinov at the upcoming FIDE congress in Norway in August.
The Americas will vote overwhelmingly in Kirsan’s favour, leaving many to ask themselves what Kasparov did so wrong! In Canada’s case, it appears the Kasparov camp behaved in an inappropriately aggressive and hostile manner, alienating many who would have otherwise supported his candidacy. More details follow and I will publish them when I get them."

"inappropriately aggressive and hostile manner"? This seems to be a phrase that keeps cropping up in anti-Kasparov propaganda spread about by FIDE sympathetic sites and Kirsan.

[NickFaulks]

Does the voluble General Secretary of the Bermuda Chess Association, Nick Faulks, have anything to say about the apparently totally illegal disenfranchisement of Gabon and Afghanistan by his best buddy, and President, Nigel Freeman? Or is he still pretending to be "neutral" (almost as laughably as Andrew Paulson's claim to be independent of Kirsan) ?

Kirsan's willingness to delegate to disreputable people, particularly those who have previously deserted him and then come back, is well known and lamentable. Nigel Freeman is not one of these, and he has always enjoyed a deserved reputation for total propriety. As with David Jarrett before him, attempts to blacken his name may go down well in England, but will rebound in the wider world.

The same is true of Margaret Murphy, Chairman of the Electoral Commission. In Tallinn, Kasparov was furious when he could not find anyone to say anything nasty about her, and withdrew his candidate in disgust. If anything untoward has been done by politicians on either side, and I certainly do not rule that out, I expect the Electoral Commission to deal correctly with it, and with the full and unbiased cooperation of FIDE's civil servants.

Short is allowing personal animosity to cloud his judgement.

[NickFaulks]

"inappropriately aggressive and hostile manner"? This seems to be a phrase that keeps cropping up in anti-Kasparov propaganda spread about by FIDE sympathetic sites and Kirsan.

Indeed, but that doesn't make it untrue!

[Nigel Short]

Excellent, Nick. Plenty of generalities and absolutely nothing about the issue in question - the disenfranchisement of Gabon and Afghanistan - which, if you bother to read the link I have shared, has everything to do with your friend Nigel Freeman.

[Roger de Coverly]

Meanwhile the Canadians have gone another way ....

Admittedly a small sample, but a poll at their discussion forum is quoted as giving completely the opposite result.

To judge from the recent comments in the thread below, the decision is controversial among Canadian players. But what do they matter?

http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthr ... -Elections

[Roger de Coverly]

- the disenfranchisement of Gabon

The story there is that an organisation who thought it was the FIDE affiliate for Gabon, had a meeting with Kasparov and then endorsed Kasparov for FIDE President. It was even mentioned earlier in this thread because of the coincidence of the name of the chess President with the name of the country's most influential family. They then discovered that they had been removed from the list of FIDE affiliates and replaced by another organisation who are on the Kirsan nomination list. What compounds it, is that in the best traditions of Orwell's 1984, FIDE appear to be denying that the original organisation was ever the FIDE affiliate.

The electronic evidence shows that the earlier organisation had indeed been the FIDE Affiliate. Thus to change it, either someone had hacked the FIDE website or the change was made by someone in the FIDE organisation. Given the sensitivity of changing affiliates, you would hope that FIDE have an audit trail of how the change was authorised.