2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

Reply of Olympiad Organizing Committee: All Teams are Accepted

CHESS OLYMPIAD
Norway 2014
Tromsø

Dear Mr. President,

We acknowledge the receipt of your letter stipulating a set deadline for response.

During a Board meeting yesterday evening, COT2014 discussed the recent developments and reached the following decisions:

1. During the entire planning of the event in Tromsø, COT2014 has worked on the assumption that FIDE accepted that the registration deadline for participants was June 1, 2014. As soon as COT2014 became aware that there could be various interpretations of the regulations, we sought support for our interpretation that teams that registered after this date could not participate, in a specific enquiry to FIDE Chief Inspector and Vice President Israel Gelfer, who confirmed this by e-mail on June 5, 2014.

2. COT2014 stands by its interpretation of the regulations and therefore does not agree that the FIDE president can use Section 6.1 of the Olympic Regulations.

3. However, COT2014 takes a positive attitude to the FIDE President’s request out of consideration for the players, federations and good sportsmanship. Consequently, COT2014 accepts that the federations that have not registered teams by the deadline of June 1, 2014, are hereby permitted to register their respective teams, as they would have been on June 1.

4. COT2014 will seek in negotiations with FIDE to find a solution to deal with the increased costs incurred by COT2014 as a consequence of this decision.

5. COT2014 will do its utmost to solve the logistical challenges, and will seek FIDE approval regarding the accommodation arrangements for the teams for which this decision applies.


In addition to the above five points, the Board notes with satisfaction your statement in a recent interview that the Chess Olympiad will not be moved from Tromsø. This strong statement gives you credit and COT2014 hopes for a positive and constructive dialogue with FIDE up to and during the Chess Olympiad and with no further legal threats.

Tromsø 21.7.2014

Kind regards

Hans Olav Karde
Chairman of Board COT2014

Børge Robertsen
CEO COT2014

[Sasha Starr]

Re: Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

https://twitter.com/SilvioDanailov/s...563841/photo/1

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

איר זענט אַ ווייטיק אין די טאָכעס

If I agreed with you it's likely you would feel differently.

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

This keeps sounding more and more like hakn a tshaynik.

Same crap, different recipe.

איר זענט אַ ווייטיק אין די טאָכעס

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

This keeps sounding more and more like hakn a tshaynik.

Same crap, different recipe.

[Sasha Starr]

Re: Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

http://chess-news.ru/node/13947

Here is an example how Kremlin/Ilyumzhinov controls FIDE: take a look at the ... Russian Chess Federation's recent revamping by Kremlin. On November 18th 2013 The top body of the Russian Chess federation has decided the following: "in a view that Mr. Ilyumzhinov has not deliver any of his promises therefore Russian Chess Federation will not support him on the upcoming FIDE's election".

More from the Russian Chess Federation's own website:
http://ruchess.ru/news/all/v_cdsh_pr...o_soveta_rshf/

Sure enough Kremlin has replaced all top people of the Russian Chess Federation and installed there Putin's friends and associates, including those already under Canada and other countries imposed sanctions, Mr. Timchenko, for example. And the newly installed executives now, of course, support KI, same as CFC.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

Shouldn't we collapse yours into that one?

OK, done. Dunno how I missed that.

Since the FIDE letter and the letter from the Reymond law firm, IM David Levy has also made an appeal for the two sides to work out their differences and make sure the Olympiad is a success.

See IM David Levy: Open Letter to Tromsø Olympiad 2014 Organizing Committee

I ask you to allow all those who wish to in this great family to come together in Tromsø in two weeks time, to participate in, celebrate and enjoy the wonderful event that is the Chess Olympiad. I ask you to put aside whatever differences you have with FIDE. I ask you to find solutions to whatever problems your committee is facing at this late stage. I ask you to talk to and work creatively with FIDE in the true spirit of Gens una sumus, to solve all such problems, and not to make the problems worse or create new ones.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Open Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

I posted the Jean-Marc Reymond letter in the 2014 Tromso Olympiad thread two days ago. Why a repeat posting?
Shouldn't we collapse yours into that one?

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Open Letter from FIDE to Tromsø Olympiad Org Ctte

FIDE has sent a letter to the Tromsø Olympiad Organizing Committee and the President of the Norwegian Chess
Federation by way of their legal representation (REYMOND & ASSOCIÉS) in Switzerland.

The letter refers to the "enforcement of the decision of the FIDE President concerning late registration of some teams" and outlines the legal reasoning behind this urgent request/demand. The letter debunks the spurious legal reasoning given by the committee in its deliberations on this matter...

As a consequence, in your capacity of organizers of the 2014 Chess Olympiad, you have the duty to take immediately all the necessary steps in order to allow the mentioned chess national teams to register in the competition, to secure accommodation and to provide them any necessary assistance to obtain entry visas.

The letter addresses the shocking attempt by certain members of the Committee to replace delegates from Afghanistan and Gabon by hand-picked Kasparov loyalists/minions and insists that such loyalists be replaced, etc. ... A deadline of Monday at 11 am has been set to rectify this flagrant and egregious problem.

In view of the above, the attempt to prevent certain teams to participate in the Chess Olympiad and the entitled delegates to take part in the Congress appears as motivated only by political reasons and to gain an unfair advantage in the presidential election. This is of course inadmissible.

These inadmissible and unprecedented actions reveal that the way two members of the Organising Committee perform their duties is incompatible with requirements of impartiality and independence and must resign from the OC. Indeed, Ignatius Leong is on Gary Kasparov’s presidential ticket and is simultaneously Tournament Director and Morten Sand is at the same time Deputy Tournament Director and member of Garry Kasparov’s election campaig. FIDE believes that the recent decision and behavior of the OC are so grossly against FIDE regulations, FIDE past practice and FIDE spirit, that they reveal a complete bias and a concrete conflict of interests.

Within the same above mentioned deadline, FIDE therefore requests confirmation that these two members of the OC resigned and be replaced to give a chance to a fair Chess Olympiad and unbiased electoral process.

So Leong and Sand must go. Furthermore, FIDE will sue the members of the OC individually if they fail to comply here.

In case the OC would unfortunately not (i) reverse its decision of 16 July 2014, (ii) allow legitimate delegates to attend the FIDE Congress, (iii) exclude biased members and (iv) fully comply with the letter and the spirit of FIDE regulations, FIDE will (i) request urgent measures before the CAS and (ii) sue individually the members of the OC and/or signatories of the decision of 16 July 2014 for the financial damages caused by their infringements of FIDE regulations, in particular (but not only) if the Chess Olympiad in Tromsø must be cancelled and be held in
another country.

Copy of this letter is sent to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in his capacity of Patron of the
Chess Olympiad Tromsø 2014, for his information.

It must be an endgame if the King is involved in the action. I'd say the jig is up for this latest Kasparovian trickery. An unsound attack may be about to be refuted.

FIDE replies and sets a deadline of Monday 11 am

(The above is a pdf file please note.)

[Wayne Komer]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

The Lawyers Join the Fray

FIDE lawyers have sent a strong letter to the Tromso Olympiad Organizing Committee that can be seen at:

http://www.fide.com/images/stories/N...18july2014.pdf

that disputes their legal arguments for team exclusions and closes with these statements:

In view of the above, the attempt to prevent certain teams to participate in the Chess Olympiad and the entitled delegates to take part in the Congress appears as motivated only by political reasons and to gain an unfair advantage in the presidential election. This is of course inadmissible.

These inadmissible and unprecedented actions reveal that the way two members of the Organising Committee perform their duties is incompatible with requirements of impartiality and independence and must resign from the OC. Indeed, Ignatius Leong is on Gary Kasparov’s presidential ticket and is simultaneously Tournament Director and Morten Sand is at the same time Deputy Tournament Director and member of Garry Kasparov’s election campaign. FIDE believes that the recent decision and behavior of the OC are so grossly against FIDE regulations, FIDE past practice and FIDE spirit, that they reveal a complete bias and a concrete conflict of interests.

Within the same abovementioned deadline, FIDE therefore requests confirmation that these two members of the OC resigned and be replaced to give a chance to a fair Chess Olympiad and unbiased electoral process.

In case the OC would unfortunately not (i) reverse its decision of 16 July 2014, (ii) allow legitimate delegates to attend the FIDE Congress, (iii) exclude biased members and (iv) fully comply with the letter and the spirit of FIDE regulations, FIDE will (i) request urgent measures before the CAS and (ii) sue individually the members of the OC and/or signatories of the decision of 16 July 2014 for the financial damages caused by their infringements of FIDE regulations, in particular (but not only) if the Chess Olympiad in Tromsø must be cancelled and be held in another country.

Yours sincerely,
Jean-Marc Reymond, av

REYMOND & ASSOCIÉS Avenue de la Gare 1
Case Postale 7255 CH-1002 Lausanne
T 41 (0)21 348 11 11
F 41 (0)21 348 11 12

www.jmrlegal.ch

_______

The American law firm Quinn Emanuel will represent the interests of the Russian Chess Federation in connection with the excluding of the Russian women's national team from participation in the Olympiad in Tromsø. Quinn Emanuel is the world's biggest law firm dealing with court and arbitration proceedings. Company lawyers have already worked with 2 300 disputes and have won 88.4% of disputes. Quinn Emanuel specialists have already examined the Olympiad Organizing Committee decision and are ready to maintain the Russian Chess Federation's position that implies the decision is illegitimate.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

dirty politics at the 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

The Federations of Afghanistan, Gabon and Pakistan are only three examples, out of many, legitimate federations that are denied access to the online registration system of the Olympiad, and even today they are still not allowed to register their full delegation. The Organizing Committee had instead given the Afghanistan and Gabon access to the registration system to people who are connected to Gary Kasparov and falsely claimed to represent the real federations of Afghanistan and Gabon!

Wow. Now that is slimy.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

Ilyumzhinov’s July 18 Letter

FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES ECHECS

Recognized by the International Olympic Committee
9 Syggrou Ave., 11743 Athens, Greece
Tel.: ( 30) 2109212047, Fax: ( 30) 2109212859, Email: office@fide.com

www.fide.com

Moscow, 18 July 2014

To: "Tromso Olympiad 2014" Organizing Committee

Dear members of the "Tromso Olympiad 2014" Organizing Committee,

In my capacity as FIDE President, I am strongly complaining about the latest decisions and behaviour of the Olympiad Organizing Committee in Tromso.

FIDE cannot accept the way that the Organizing Committee is treating many national federations by delaying registrations, visa invitations and ignoring FIDE decisions, regulations and signed contracts.

Unfortunately, the strong influence and partnership of one FIDE presidential candidate, and his employees, within the Organizing Committee is causing for the first time in Olympiad history, so many problems in a top FIDE event: selected countries that need to travel as a whole delegation to another country (!!) to get their visa, match arbiters staying in hotels ...70 km away (!!) from the games, selected Federations that are prohibited to access the online registration system of the Olympiad, invitation letters not issued for accompanying persons due to accommodation problems, and even federations like Russia which have been initially accepted as participants and then were refused registration, only 2 weeks before the event!
For the case of Russian Women's Team, everything is very clear and it is a wonder how the Organizing Committee is now refusing its participation. The press release of the Organizing Committee here

http://chess24.com/en/olympiad2014/n...-will-go-ahead

shows that only on 5 June the Organizing Committee confirmed that the Olympiad will really take place, after their previous public statements that the Olympiad might be cancelled due to financial problems.

Still, the Russian Chess Federation had informed the Organizing Committee long before 1 June that it intends to participate with both teams (men and women). On 5 June, the FIDE Executive Director confirmed to the Organizing Committee that Russia should be registered. The only reason that Russia could not register their women team was that they were waiting for FIDE's decision on the Kateryna Lagno case, which was only finalized on 12 July. In the meantime, the Organizing Committee had accepted both team's registrations (men and women) and even issued an invoice to the Russian Chess Federation on 7 July, fully paid on 11 July, which is attached as annex 1 and can even be seen online up to now here

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/d...al/invoice.png

Therefore, it is obvious that the issue had been resolved many days ago, even by accounting means, and it is re-opened now for political reasons, connected with the FIDE elections. In addition, FIDE has repeatedly informed the Organizing Committee that the participation of a team, which was not registered within the deadline, is not an issue of the Organisers authority but one of FIDE President to decide.

The Organizing Committee, instead of complying with FIDE's instructions, also created similar problems with other national federations, contrary to FIDE regulations. The Federations of Afghanistan, Gabon and Pakistan are only three examples, out of many, legitimate federations that are denied access to the online registration system of the Olympiad, and even today they are still not allowed to register their full delegation. The Organizing Committee had instead given the Afghanistan and Gabon access to the registration system to people who are connected to Gary Kasparov and falsely claimed to represent the real federations of Afghanistan and Gabon! This is an issue resolved by the Electoral Commission of FIDE since 14 July and the Organising Committee is aware of this. The Organizing Committee in Tromso has performed an unbelievable scheme of combined illegitimate actions which should never take place in a democratic country like Norway.

As FIDE President, I am hereby officially informing the Organizing Committee that the delegations of Russia, Afghanistan, Gabon and Pakistan are allowed to participate in the FIDE Olympiad and Congress in Tromso, in accordance with the power given to the FIDE President by article 6.1 of the regulations. This decision has been made by taking into account the real problems that the federations of Russia, Afghanistan, Gabon and Pakistan faced during the registration process.
Furthermore and in all cases, article 3.7.2 of the Olympiad regulations only stipulate a fine of 100 euros per person for late submissions. Not exclusion of any team and certainly NOT under any individual's personal decision without the approval of FIDE.

Therefore, I'm instructing the Organizing Committee to accept without any delay the registrations of Cambodia, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Oman and Senegal for participation in the Chess Olympiad and Congress of Tromso. The amount of 100 euros per person for these federations will be paid to the Organizing Committee. FIDE will cover this cost and not the national federations.

At this stage, FIDE is in consultation with its lawyers and bankers.

FIDE is considering all measures, including compensation to the affected federations through the default of the Organizing Committee's bank guarantee, as the Organizing Committee has already violated several articles of the Olympiad regulations and their contract with FIDE.

The FIDE President, according to the Olympiad regulations, is empowered to take final decisions on urgent and unforeseen issues, a regulation especially important to prevent local organisers from abusing the rights national federations.

Unfortunately, it is the first time in the history of Chess Olympiads that such a measure is applied and it is absolutely necessary to protect many national federations from the illegal and biased decisions of the Organizing Committee in Tromso.

We are expecting the Organizing Committee in Tromso to operate as a fully independent and fair body to all national chess federations and not only to the ones that are politically connected to them. I have been also informed by the FIDE Executive Director Mr. Nigel Freeman and FIDE Vice President Mr. Israel Gelfer, that many problems which have been identified in their inspections in Tromso have not been resolved yet. The main duty of the Organizing Committee should be to solve these problems connected with the games, not to engage in war with FIDE or its national federations.

By Monday 21 July, 11 am CET, the Organizing Committee should confirm to FIDE in a written statement that all Olympiad applicants will receive visa and no country will be excluded without the approval of FIDE. We hope to enjoy a successful and well organized Olympiad in Tromso.


Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
FIDE President

[Wayne Komer]

Re: 2014 Tromsø Chess Olympiad

The decision on the situation of non-admission of the nine national teams in Chess Olympiad in Norway will be taken on Friday, July 18, with the Russian team having a good chance to take part in the tournament, said the president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is entitled to take the unprecedented decision to cancel the upcoming Olympics in Norway due to violation of the organizing committee of the tournament of earlier commitments, said multiple world champion and Olympic Games Ambassador Anatoly Karpov in Tromso.

Source: http://rsport.ru/chess/20140717/758710895.html

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Malaysian plane crash

Don't blame me. I'm not interested in Ukraine other than the tragedy of the downed airliner. I'm more interested in the Middle East.

If the downing in Ukraine could effect a move of the Olympiad to Sochi it's probably on topic. I don't care where they hold the Olympiad (more or less) as long as all the member nations are able to participate without undue burden from red tape by the host nation. And that is on topic.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Malaysian plane crash

I'm responding to Gary's comments about the effect of events in Ukraine on the location of the Olympiad. Read his previous remarks to mine. I really hope you are not simply trying to provoke a conflict and blame it on me.

I blame you of going too far from this thread topic to the Ukraine crisis.