Kasparov vs Ilyumzhinov: the FIDE Presidency battle begins

[Paolo Casaschi]

Illyumzhinov responds to Kasparov's vote-rigging allegations with a vicious and rambling tirade

Luckily elections are in a few days: hopefully propaganda will stop there from both sides and we'll happily forget about all this for the next three and a half years.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Is the election actually tomorrow? I can't find it on the schedule here:

http://www.fide.com/images/stories/FIDE ... _Feb_5.pdf

I found that link here:

https://chess24.com/en/olympiad2014/reg ... rticipants

More here:

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... edule.html

(Why is it so difficult to find the actual date of the vote?)

[Paolo Casaschi]

Is the election actually tomorrow? I can't find it on the schedule here:

http://www.fide.com/images/stories/FIDE ... _Feb_5.pdf

I found that link here:

https://chess24.com/en/olympiad2014/reg ... rticipants

More here:

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... edule.html

(Why is it so difficult to find the actual date of the vote?)

I believe it's on the 11th at the GA session.

[Paolo Casaschi]

I believe it's on the 11th at the GA session.

Indeed, regulations state that the presidential election comes first at the GA session, then the continental elections follow:
http://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html? ... w=category
The continental elections being listed on the first GA day on the 11th.

[Chris Rice]

Final list of those entitled to vote by FIDE

http://www.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS ... tromso.pdf

Its widely expected that if Kasparov loses legal action will follow. Kasparov is clearly desperate because otherwise he wouldn't be trying to change the electoral rules at the last minute in an Open Letter to Illyumzhinov, FIDE and the Tromso organisers. Perhaps he is already preparing the ground for defeat by saying it was a completely rigged election in the first place. But that's not really news is it? I suspect FIDE will simply ignore the proposals.

http://kasparov2014.com/wp-content/uplo ... edures.pdf

Meanwhile Illyumzhinov continues to pump out vicious propaganda aimed at Kasparov.

http://fidefirst.com/?page_id=9

[Chris Rice]

Almost there now with the General Assembly starting today. Yesterday I mentioned Kasparov had sent an Open Letter to FIDE asking them to change various things. Today’s response from Illyumzhinov effectively tells him to shove it:

http://www.chessdom.com/fide-elections- ... n-letters/

In today’s nastiness we have already begun with the Seychelles Chess Federation in a spat with Kasparov’s alleged interference in the African continental elections.

http://www.chessdom.com/african-chess-c ... e-meeting/

Of course if you go on Kasparov’s campaign site he emerged completely victorious from the same meeting!

http://kasparov2014.com/2014/08/10/just ... de-rising/

[David Sedgwick]

The following twitter feeds should keep you up to date with what is happening:

https://twitter.com/TelegraphChess/with_replies

https://twitter.com/GMastrokoukos/with_replies

https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS/with_replies

A photograph on the last one shows Phil Ehr talking to Andrew Paulson.

[Mick Norris]

And here
https://twitter.com/MarkTWIC/with_replies

from Malcolm Pein

Kirsan - I signed the Agon memorandum and then sent to FIDE executive for checking

[benedgell]

KI has this in the bag, sadly. A long drawn out lawsuit will follow soon.

[Mick Norris]

KI has this in the bag, sadly. A long drawn out lawsuit will follow soon.

Think you are right

Nigel has been offered a job by Kirsan

@fidepresident invited @nigelshortchess to be director of Africa Chess Foundation with 500K USD budget

[Chris Rice]

We're also getting updates on Chess Vibes and clearly Illyumzhinov is attempting to buy off his opponents as he's offering the Kasparov Foundation money as well. Nigel and Yazicki already got a couple of blows in about Agon and Leong but got told to shut up as those matters are with the FIDE Ethics Commission.

http://www.chessdom.com/fide-general-as ... in-tromso/

[LawrenceCooper]

Kirsan 110 Kasparov 61

[Simon Brown]

Predictable, sadly.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Posting a Chessbase summary from 2010 to show how this compares to the vote last time and the time before:

2010 elections: "The vote took two hours, and the final count was 95 for the incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, 55 for the challenger Anatoly Karpov and three abstentions (four years ago Ilyumzhinov beat Bessel Kok by 96-54). The renewed victory was achieved mostly with votes from smaller federations in Asia, Africa and South America, while Karpov's votes came mainly from European countries. Four more years for Kirsan."

That the vote was 110-61 this time (2014) means that there were more countries? [171 instead of 153?] Any abstentions this time round?

[Mick Norris]

Reports earlier were 174 votes available in total, so presumably 3 abstentions/disputed/not accepted