Interview with Anatoly Karpov

[Larry Bevand]

I picked up this link from Kevin Spraggett's site...a must read:

http://ruchess.ru/en/news/all/anatol...rrible_crisis/

Larry

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Interview with Anatoly Karpov

Interview with Anatoly Karpov

June 1, 2018

From:

http://ruchess.ru/en/news/all/anatol...rrible_crisis/

Excerpts:

The 12th world champion, RCF Vice-President, and the member of the State Duma Anatoly Karpov gave an interview to Vasily Papin in Poikovsky. There was a question about the forthcoming FIDE elections.

- Mr. Karpov, FIDE Presidential elections are approaching. The RCF Supervisory Board supported the candidacy of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. What is your position as the RCF Vice-President?

- I would underline – it supported but with great difficulty. There was no other candidate, that is why this decision. In principle I think that Kirsan Nikolayevich has to think and find some other occupation. Because there are problems, first of all inside his team.

- Do you mean a conflict with Mr. Makropoulos?

- Not only. Mr. Makropoulos, Mr. Vega, and Mr. Azmaiparashvili. Too many people who are against. I do not even mention the fact that the PB in Minsk voted for his resignation. Frankly, I do not recall any other occasion of PB voting 16-1. And it happened in Minsk, not in the USA. So he has not done some things correctly. In chess I understand his mistakes and failures. But that this has been understood not only by chess professionals, but by the members of his team – this is a revelation for me.

- At the RCF Congress the support was provided for two candidates: Kirsan and you.

- Eight years ago I had a mood to run, and of course that the decision was changed, of the RCF Supervisory Board to support Kirsan, it was outrageous. In all the world Russia, at least, in chess, has lost a lot. The world could not understand what had happened and how it was possible.

- Let me specify. This was the period when Arkady Dvorkovich headed the RCF, wasn’t it?

- Yes, and there was a decision. As far as I know, even there had been threats to our southern delegates. Kirsan’s representatives were pressing. And this is monstrous for chess and the chess world. But it did happen. Now, if Russia needs, I can run. But I do not need it. Now they are trying to tell me, you should go. But I am saying, if there is a need to “fill the gap”, I can do it.

- To sacrifice yourself?

- Yes (laughing). From the point of view of my activities in chess… Knock on wood, everything is successful. My schools are created, now they exist in 38 countries of the world, in nearly 50 regions of Russia. I organize tournaments, both play and organize. For today, for my chess plans, the FIDE Presidency does not fit anywhere. Moreover, everything I do, I do without FIDE. Sometimes they try to take over my things and they do.

- Now besides Kirsan, G. Makropoulos and N. Short are running for the FIDE Presidential office. How do you see the results this autumn in Batumi?

- I do not know. I see problems, but so far do not see the solutions. But the problems are huge. And I think that today it is easier to create a new World Chess Federation than to correct and amend what had happened in the current one.

It is clear that FIDE is going through a terrible crisis. It was to be expected. But no one could imagine that this would happen this year. Now Kirsan is actively moving around the globe, more than usually. Of course he has to reconsider his positions. And if he can succeed to get re-elected, then he has to organize his work in another way. I think that he should be in more contact with professionals to avoid many stupidities he had made during these 20 years.

- What are his main mistakes, in your opinion?

- Careless decisions regarding World Championship, which damaged it seriously.

- This first of all is about the World Championship cycle?

- Yes, this knockout format was a huge mistake. We have lost a lot. We lost prestige and popularity. We lost our positions and it is difficult to reinstate them. I recall even my match with Kasparov in Seville in 1987 – we had twice top positions in CNN, higher than the political news. And now chess is not there even at the last place (laughing.) I do not know how to call this place.

The trouble is that Kirsan, without realizing what he is doing, started interfering into the rules change. Why chess has such a long life, and is alive after many crises? Because of traditional rules. And FIDE Presidents never had courage to interfere with the rules changes. Of course this is the prerogative of World Champions, who should defend our traditions. Unfortunately, I do not see the role of M. Carlsen here. I think he omnivorous. Unfortunately, he is not that kind of a player, as Botvinnik or myself used to be. He allowed the rules change and it is very sad.

- But there was Anand before Carlsen.

- And also Anand. He did not feel his role and he did not perform the defense of professionals’ positions. If we make mistakes in the rules change, chess could be lost forever. And I mentioned this at the RCF Congress. The thing is Kirsan has neither knowledge nor understanding. He should not have touched upon these issues, even if he claims that he is a great chess player. But we do know what kind of a chess player he is.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Anatoly Karpov

GM Karpov seems to be of the view that FIDE isn't relevant to what he does in chess, i.e., - he gets more done right now that he might accomplish as FIDE President. That's maybe a little dose of realism in terms of exaggerating the importance of FIDE, but it's also a pretty significant criticism.

For good or ill, his views on time controls seem to be antidiluvian. Rapid and other quick time controls are here to stay. Just look at most of junior chess in Canada, for example, that uses quick time controls. Some would argue along Karpov's lines here that such time controls contribute to the abandonment of competitive chess by juniors once they move into adult chess. So perhaps the former World Champion has a point after all ...

Corruption and other problems plague both the IOC and FIFA as well. These are the top two sporting organizations in the world, ahead of FIDE at number 3. So it really shouldn't be a surprise that similar problems exist at FIDE. And one group of wanna-be corrupt officials from one part of the world denouncing current corrupt officials hardly seems like progress.

Supplemental: Readers should have a look at the full interview and not just the edited version above. Everything even a little positive about Kirsan has been deleted from the above "selection".

Furthermore, and I think this is even more important, is that GM Karpov blames Kirsan for the sanctions of the US Treasury Department. [Or, at least, says the US has its "reasons", etc.] It surprises me a little that Karpov can get this so wrong; the sanctions are, IMHO, simply a veiled attack on the Russian Federation, and its government and officials, and Kirsan is simply getting blasted by US-style drive-by political shooting.

Simply put, only the UN or such international bodies have the "right" to apply such sanctions, however difficult that may be; the US, in its continuing role of globocop tries to apply its laws extra-territorially, like some dictator or brigand, and thereby knowingly creates chaos in the world generally. Policy-wise, this is no different than funding terrorists in Syria and calling them "rebels". But no one, not even the former World Champion who is also a member of the Russian Parliament, seems to be able to figure this out.

Perhaps Karpov is afraid of US sanctions against him as well?

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Anatoly Karpov

GM Karpov seems to be of the view that FIDE isn't relevant to what he does in chess, i.e., - he gets more done right now that he might accomplish as FIDE President. That's maybe a little dose of realism in terms of exaggerating the importance of FIDE, but it's also a pretty significant criticism.

Not being president, gives Karpov much more freedom of movement and action without being constrained by the politics of the position.

For good or ill, his views on time controls seem to be antidiluvian. Rapid and other quick time controls are here to stay. Just look at most of junior chess in Canada, for example, that uses quick time controls.

We use quick time controls for juniors because they are convenient for organizers and parents and not because they are best for the chess development of the kids. I am guilty of it myself. Kids are involved in multiple sports and scheduling events so that everyone can participate can get to be a challenge. Spending two hours or six hours playing a game is going to do more to help your understanding of chess than a game in 25 minutes will. The latter barely allows you to scratch the surface.

Some would argue along Karpov's lines here that such time controls contribute to the abandonment of competitive chess by juniors once they move into adult chess. So perhaps the former World Champion has a point after all ...

Corruption and other problems plague both the IOC and FIFA as well. These are the top two sporting organizations in the world, ahead of FIDE at number 3. So it really shouldn't be a surprise that similar problems exist at FIDE. And one group of wanna-be corrupt officials from one part of the world denouncing current corrupt officials hardly seems like progress.

Supplemental: Readers should have a look at the full interview and not just the edited version above. Everything even a little positive about Kirsan has been deleted from the above "selection".

Furthermore, and I think this is even more important, is that GM Karpov blames Kirsan for the sanctions of the US Treasury Department. [Or, at least, says the US has its "reasons", etc.] It surprises me a little that Karpov can get this so wrong; the sanctions are, IMHO, simply a veiled attack on the Russian Federation, and its government and officials, and Kirsan is simply getting blasted by US-style drive-by political shooting.

Karpov probably has access to more information about the situation than we do. There was an opportunity with the change of regimes from Obama to Trump for this situation to be resolved but perhaps it is not so clear cut and might be why it was not resolved.

Simply put, only the UN or such international bodies have the "right" to apply such sanctions, however difficult that may be; the US, in its continuing role of globocop tries to apply its laws extra-territorially, like some dictator or brigand, and thereby knowingly creates chaos in the world generally. Policy-wise, this is no different than funding terrorists in Syria and calling them "rebels". But no one, not even the former World Champion who is also a member of the Russian Parliament, seems to be able to figure this out.

Perhaps Karpov is afraid of US sanctions against him as well?

I doubt it.