The FIDE Presidency

**Wayne Komer** · Monday, 10th April, 2017, 10:47 AM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

The FIDE Presidency

April 10, 2017

Comments from the EC Forum:

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic....198165#p198165

Chris Rice - The official FIDE statement has come out now. Looks like Kirsan was there and apologised for his behaviour. Seems to have been heavy legal briefing dominating the meeting. Kirsan has been withdrawn as a signatory at the UBS Bank so he is very much a ceremonial President with all his powers now transferred to Makropoulos. One can assume that the legal advice was that the PB can't get rid of him just like that as the resignation wasn't in writing and he clearly wasn't intending to resign.

Nick Faulks - Complete climbdown by Kirsan. He apologises for everything he has done in the past few weeks and won't do it again. Most crucially (in my view)

"3. Statement of Mr Kirsan Ilyumzhinov regarding revocation of his powers
Mr Ilyumzhinov withdrew his statement of 6 April regarding the revocation of his powers."

It should suit FIDE quite well that he remains President, with no powers. The last thing they need at the moment is an argument about who should be President instead.

Comments on Chessdom:

The power struggle that started in FIDE in the end of March reached a temporary stalemate. At the extraordinary meeting of the Presidential Board meeting in Athens, it was decided that Kirsan Ilymzhinov will stay President of FIDE until the end of 2018. However, his power will be limited and he will not be able to take major decisions nor sign contracts.

Update: FIDE confirms the sources of Chessdom.com and reaffirms that after the new board meeting today, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has withdrawn from all his powers
__________

The chessdom article has a full rundown of the chronology of the story:

http://www.chessdom.com/kirsan-ilyum...limited-power/

**Bob Armstrong** · Monday, 10th April, 2017, 12:54 PM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

So, as I get it:

1. Kirsan is still President of FIDE.
2. Kirsan has now now powers, for the time being, they all having been transferred to Georgios, Deputy President.

Bob A

**Wayne Komer** · Monday, 10th April, 2017, 01:27 PM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

The FIDE Presidency

April 10, 2017

Bob, I would have thought that was a fair statement of the situation. Kirsan with some powers taken away but will stand for re-election in 2018, if he can find a seconder!

TASS published its report at about the same time as FIDE’s statement:

MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has retained his post of the president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Andrei Filatov, the president of the Russian Chess Federation, told TASS on Monday. "Kirsan (Ilyumzhinov) has just called me on the telephone and said that he remained in the post of the FIFA president," Filatov, who is also a FIDE vice president, said in an interview with TASS.

An extraordinary session of the FIDE Presidential Board members was held on Monday in Athens to discuss Ilyumzhinov’s possible dismissal. The FIDE chief personally attended today’s urgent session in Greece. Ilyumzhinov announced earlier his intention to run for re-election again during the next presidential election, scheduled for 2018 in Azerbaijan’s Baku.
According to some earlier media reports, Ilyumzhinov retained his post of the president, but his duties were restricted.

Contradictory remarks followed reports on the alleged restrictions in Ilyumzhinov’s duties, as his aide Berik Balgabayev rejected the allegations, saying that the president has the right to exercise his duties in full.

"The status quo remains," Balgabayev said in an interview with TASS. "Kirsam Ilyumzhinov remains the FIDE president without any restrictions."

However, FIDE Vice President Boris Kutin of Slovenia told TASS that previous restrictions of duties, regarding the financial and administrative activities, remained.

"The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere," Kutin said in an interview with TASS commenting on Monday’s extraordinary session in Athens. "There was no conspiracy whatsoever and, on the contrary, everyone supported him expressing their agreement for him to continue exercising his presidential power until 2018.

"However, certain restrictions will be in force, the ones which were in place since 2015," Kutin said. "This is all for the benefit of FIDE and in order not to compromise the organization due to the sanction list. Kirsan (Ilyumzhinov) personally spoke in favor of this decision, which was unanimously passed during the session."

See:

http://tass.com/sport/940443
__________

Comments online

(Malcolm Pein) – (The FIDE) statement remains incomprehensible (and) requires almost Talmudic level interpretation

(Silvio Danailov) - "Macro and friends" again humiliated Ilyumzhinov, who remains president without power

(Tarjei J. Svensen) – FIDE must be the worst sports organization when it comes to PR & communications. They are all just incompetent.

(David Sedgwick) - It really is a strange coup attempt when the objective of the plotters is to maintain the status quo.

**Wayne Komer** · Tuesday, 11th April, 2017, 10:48 AM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

The FIDE Presidency

April 11, 2017

Peter Doggers has a nice piece of journalism describing the meeting of the FIDE Presidential Board in Athens yesterday.

I had thought that they would meet in their office’s conference room over coffee and doughnuts, but I was wrong:

Scattered around the magnificent rooftop restaurant on the seventh floor, enjoying a stunning view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis, FIDE officials were having an early breakfast on Monday morning at the five-star Royal Olympic Hotel in Athens. The pleasant atmosphere wouldn't change during their meeting that morning.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was the last to arrive in the meeting room on the fourth flour. It was quarter past nine. Joined by his assistant Berik Balgabaev, the FIDE President was smiling to everyone, but looked tired. He had landed two hours earlier at Athens airport, after an overnight flight from Turkmenistan.

Yesterday's meeting was one behind closed doors. Balgabaev and even Polina Tsedenova, FIDE's trustworthy administrative manager, had to wait outside. However, a few minutes into the meeting the door suddenly opened again, and Tsedenova was asked inside. Ilyumzhinov had requested her to translate for him—something he usually doesn't ask for. His English should be good enough.

It might have been a tactic to win time, or Ilyumzhinov was seriously worried about being misinterpreted. After all, he and the other board members did have very different views of what had happened, and he had blamed a translation error for the confusion whether he had resigned from office or not.

The meeting lasted a bit less than three hours, and finished comfortably before lunchtime. The result wasn't the bombshell that some insiders had anticipated.

Right afterward, the word "status quo" was used, and the meeting was described as "fruitful" and "peaceful," but the board members refrained from further comments.

"First a press release, then comments," said FIDE Executive Director Nigel Freeman, and he joined the board members for lunch.

This took place in "Smile" restaurant, close to the hotel and to the FIDE office in Athens. It's a place where FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos can often be found, and that is called "the real FIDE office" by some.
__________

Read the whole story at:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/ilyu...president-3728

**Pierre Denommee** · Friday, 14th April, 2017, 10:23 PM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

"In the circumstances, the Board also approved the removal of Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s name from the trade register of Canton Vaud" FIDE has told the civil authorities that Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s is no longer the president. This register is not the Yellow Pages, it is an official government register of business and directors. I did search the online registry and his name is still there. If it is like the Quebec registry, in can take more then one month for a request to be entered into the register.

**Bob Armstrong** · Sunday, 16th April, 2017, 07:47 AM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

Originally posted by Pierre Denommee View Post

"In the circumstances, the Board also approved the removal of Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s name from the trade register of Canton Vaud" FIDE has told the civil authorities that Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s is no longer the president. This register is not the Yellow Pages, it is an official government register of business and directors. I did search the online registry and his name is still there. If it is like the Quebec registry, in can take more then one month for a request to be entered into the register.

Hi Pierre:

Thanks for this information.

You said: "FIDE has told the civil authorities that Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s is no longer the president."

Is FIDE just outright LYING to the bureaucrats running the trade register of Canton Vaud (An official government register of business and directors)?

We know that Kirsan is STILL the official President of FIDE, and holds that title dear to his little heart. He is running for President again in the next election, as the INCUMBENT!

Soooooo......on what legal basis does FIDE tell the Canto Vaud that Kirsan is "no longer the President [of FIDE]"?

Do you know Pierre?

I mean even a President with no powers still is listed on all advertising, likely still gets some stipend for the use of his name as a attraction (Choke, choke), and is addressed as "Mr. President".

Surely they are not arguing that because Kirsan has no powers as President (And my guess is he still does have some minor admin. ones), that therefore, legally, he no longer comes within the Canton Vaud's legal definition of "President", for registration purposes?

Well, I guess I shouldn't use "surely" when it comes to FIDE........they do anything, legal or illegal, that feathers their own nest.

Anyone else got a clue what is going on with this apparent total inconsistency?

Bob

**Bob Gillanders** · Sunday, 16th April, 2017, 11:57 AM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

Originally posted by Bob Armstrong View Post

I mean even a President with no powers......

Isn't this the same solution implemented by city council in the Rob Ford case?
A mayor will no powers.

FIDE has taken a lesson from Toronto,
Now they have a President with no powers.

I can think of one more case where this solution could be applied. :)

**Pierre Denommee** · Sunday, 16th April, 2017, 10:15 PM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

Originally posted by Bob Armstrong View Post

Hi Pierre:

Thanks for this information.

You said: "FIDE has told the civil authorities that Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s is no longer the president."

Is FIDE just outright LYING to the bureaucrats running the trade register of Canton Vaud (An official government register of business and directors)?

We know that Kirsan is STILL the official President of FIDE, and holds that title dear to his little heart. He is running for President again in the next election, as the INCUMBENT!

Apparently, verbal resignation is legal in Switzerland. The Presidential Board has a recording of the verbal resignation of the incumbent, he actualy did resign three times during the meeting according to the FIDE web site.

Mr. Ilyumzhinov advised that he has initiated legal procedures in the US aiming to request additional information and reverse restrictive measures put by the US Department of the Treasury. During the next Presidential Board meeting, Mr. Ilyumzhinov will update the Board as to the progress of the legal procedures.

4. Resignation of Mr Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

Mr Ilyumzhinov explained that in the previous board meeting he had emotionally expressed his desire to resign but he now felt that he had more time to contribute to Chess.

He admit that he resigned, but claim that this wasn't serious.

**Wayne Komer** · Tuesday, 18th April, 2017, 11:03 PM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

The FIDE Presidency

April 18, 2017

From the chess.com website:

In a statement to Chess.com, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov today announced that he will be running for FIDE president again in 2018.

"One billion people playing chess" continues to be his motto.

"Today I was analyzing everything that has happened, and I have decided to run for another term as FIDE president," Ilyumzhinov told Chess.com on Tuesday. "I want to continue uniting the chess world. I will be working towards my goal to have one billion people playing chess."

Ilyumzhinov, however, remains optimistic (about the U. S. sanctions). "I have my friends, I have my lawyers. I will talk to them. I am 100 percent confident that the situation will be resolved."

Ilyumzhinov will not rule out working with Makropoulos again after 2018. "I am open to anyone. I am a buddhist," he said.

https://www.chess.com/news/view/ilyu...t-in-2018-1372

**Wayne Komer** · Friday, 13th October, 2017, 10:30 AM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

The FIDE Presidency

October 13, 2017

From chess-news.ru this morning:

From the 88th FIDE Congress in Antalya, Turkey

Tweets:

Stefan Loffler – In a non-binding poll of delegates at the Congress in Antalya, a majority voted against Ilyumzhinov running again in 2018

Silvio Danailov – Non-binding vote to request Kirsan not to run took place. It was secret and the score 37-20 against him with 2 abstentions

Silvio Danailov – Of course non-binding vote legally means nothing. No one can prevent Kirsan from running Just Makro & friends showing some muscle. Pathetic.

Mohamed Al-Medaihki – Hal Bond from Canada to FIDE President, “Mr. Kirsan, if you love us, set us free!”

https://twitter.com/Chess__News?ref_...ess-news.ru%2F

**Wayne Komer** · Friday, 13th October, 2017, 11:24 AM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

The FIDE Presidency

October 13, 2017

FIDE Executive Board

by Nick Faulks » Fri Oct 13, 2017

For those who like this sort of thing, there has been what passes for excitement here.

Kirsan seems to have been successfully ambushed by the Makropolous forces. There was supposed to be controversy over who would be in charge of the meeting, but it was clear from the off that it would be Makro. We started with the President's opening address, describing his efforts during the past year to further the interests of chess and lamenting his sufferings at the hands of the US Treasury. Makro then made a long speech in which he criticized the lies propagated against him and others by Kirsan and others in Russia. Despite his protestations to the contrary, it was surprisingly personal and sometimes bitter.

The Treasurer's statement started with a bombshell. He reported that it was increasingly difficult for him to keep FIDE's bank accounts open given Kirsan's involvement, and that it might help if the EB passed a motion officially requesting ( not demanding ) that he should not run for re-election in 2018.

Plans were immediately made, over the objections of obvious parties, for such a secret vote. My vague guess was that it would pass with Kirsan getting 15 votes. In fact he got 20, against 37. He then left the building, and Azmai took the mike to state that he would not be running himself and to make an impassioned request to Makro to do so. Makro didn't say he would, but certainly didn't say he wouldn't.

We're now moving on normal matters, but are wondering whether to expect a row about Agon.

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic....207372#p207372

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 10th December, 2017, 04:34 PM

Re: The FIDE Presidency

The FIDE Presidency

December 10, 2017

An interesting insight as to how a powerful chess nation can influence the choice of the next FIDE president:

From: The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...le21386717.ece

Role in world chess body FIDE: Indian gambit in Russia power play

Kallol Bhattacherjee NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 10, 2017

As Russian President Vladimir Putin races towards the 2018 election, India’s role is likely to be crucial in maintaining continued importance of one of his favourite loyalists, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, head of the international chess body, FIDE.

An official of the All India Chess Federation says India will have a strong say in deciding Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s future on top of world chess even as the Kremlin power play unfolds in the pre-election months involving the likes of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

Explaining India’s role in FIDE, Bharat Singh Chauhan, secretary of the federation, acknowledged the importance of Mr. Ilyumzhinov in world chess, but said that as one of the top five chess powers in the world, India would have its support crucial in determining who the next president of FIDE would be. Though the election is several months away, discussions have already begun in Russian media and within the chess circle in India about “certain issues” around Mr. Ilyumzhinov.

Apart from being home to a large number of important chess players, including former world champion Vishwanathan Anand, India also hosts several FIDE-backed chess events and carries significant weight in determining the order of the organisation.

Mr. Chauhan declined to detail what kind of problems FIDE had been facing from the U.S. sanctions on its president, but said the decision to support Mr. Ilyumzhinov would be taken on merit and without influence from any government department. “Whatever decision we take, it will be decided by what is in India’s interest, and the All India Chess Federation will decide on it as an autonomous body,” said Mr. Chauhan, emphasising that government of India does not interfere with the decision of the All India Chess Federation.

So far there are no clear signs if Mr. Ilyumzhinov will face a strong opponent. But Russian sources indicate that there are possibilities of a face-off between him and the former world champion and President Putin’s bitter critic, Gary Kasparov. Mr. Chauhan said that Mr. Kasparov had not yet declared his preference for a contest, however The Hindu learnt that a possibility of such a contest could not be discounted. In case the Putin loyalist is challenged by Mr. Kasparov, the fight will take on a political colour and may even influence the election campaign of President Putin.

The future of Mr. Ilyumzhinov and his position within FIDE has been highlighted in view of the election season that has been unfolding in Moscow.

Apart from Mr. Ilyumzhinov, several other Kremlin insiders such as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin are likely to face re-evaluation as President Putin reconfigures his team to pitch for the presidency once again.

While sanctions have bothered Mr. Ilyumzhinov, Russian media in recent weeks has reported that Mr. Rogozin is also facing growing pressure due to repeated failures of the Russian space industry. Russia failed to send a payload of 19 satellites on November 28 prompting criticism of Mr. Rogozin who has been in charge of Russia’s space industry since 2011. India’s position on these individuals therefore can make a difference for them in the election season of Russia.

**Nigel Hanrahan** · Monday, 11th December, 2017, 12:27 PM

The Hindu: "Kirsan’s contribution to chess is enormous."

Originally posted by Wayne Komer View Post

An interesting insight as to how a powerful chess nation can influence the choice of the next FIDE president:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...le21386717.ece

aha ha ha ha. I like how you've excluded the one paragraph in the article that is positive towards Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Clearly, you're not biased. lol. And unless you are intending to pass off the article as your own, maybe try using the quotation function next time. It's not really that hard to do.

Kirsan’s contribution to chess is enormous. But there are issues like U.S. sanctions on him that are likely to come up for scrutiny when we decide our position on him,” Mr. Chauhan told The Hindu.

The article seems to suggest that the sanctions on Kirsan have more to do with the Western venom towards the Syrian government, and their Russian allies, than anything really much to do with him. This is an admission that is lacking in Western media. Then again, an Indian reading audience is probably more sophisticated, and [more to the point] less gullible, than North Americans.

Mr. Ilyumzhinov has been the head of FIDE for almost two decades and part of the power elite of Russia for long. In recent years, his problems have come from international sanctions. The United States imposed sanctions in 2015 on the chess czar for his alleged role in supporting the government of President Bashar Al Assad of Syria. The sanctions specifically targeted those individuals with close ties with President Putin. They prohibit U.S. persons or organisations from conducting business with him and interfere with FIDE’s work.

The US Empire and its client regimes tried, and failed, to turn Syria into a terrorist nursery and failed state like they did with Libya. It is for this reason that they are hostile to Kirsan, and Russia generally, for that matter. Hence their dubious line of trying to link Kirsan with a Syrian bank, and then linking Syria with support of terrorism, and then Russia with Syria, etc.

What's perhaps most disgraceful by the Western regimes is the claim, e.g., by Donald Trump, that his country and military bore the lion's share for defeating terrorism in Syria and Iraq. On the contrary. The US did everything they could to destroy that country [especially during the era of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Drone President Barak Obama].

For example, when the terrorists were recently getting trounced in eastern Syria, they were allowed to pass through the US-sponsored Kurdish controlled areas UNMOLESTED and free. The Kurds simply traded places with the terrorists in trying to control Syrian oil wells. Or then there is the example of the US airlifting ISIS Commanders to safety, or allowing large numbers of ISIS terrorists to withdraw freely from the Syrian cities of Manbij, Tabqah and Raqqah, or simply killing over 100 Syrian Arab Army soldiers "accidentally" so that the terrorists could successfully take Deir ez-Zor, etc., and then have the effrontery to blame Syria's ally Hezbollah for doing the same thing at the Syrian-Lebanese border.

But when were the Americans not shameless, anyway?

This is all beside the fact that the US "advisors" are in Syria illegally, in gross violation of international law and norms, like some international brigand and pirate.

Mind you, none of this changes the fact that Kasparov would be a disaster for the FIDE Presidency.

**Nigel Hanrahan** · Tuesday, 26th December, 2017, 04:54 PM

greetings from Kirsan at the end of the year

In a wide-ranging interview Kirsan Nikolaevich Ilyumzhinov gives his year-end greetings ...

Originally posted by Kirsan Nikolaevich

In general, I would like to congratulate everyone with the New Year. On December 12, a few days ago, according to Kalmyk lunar calendar, we have already greeted the Kalmyk New Year – Zul. This is the year of the Dog. A dog is a very nice pet. Thus, the next year will be a very good one. And I would like to wish everyone comforts of home and happiness. So that the Year of the Dog always keeps you warm with rays of good and well-being. As they say in Kalmykia: "I wish you the White road!" So that you have a white smooth road and meet only good people on your way.

May 2018 be a great year for chess players around the Globe. Woof woof.

See http://chess-news.ru/node/24094