Canada will endorse Karpov?

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

If only Karpov could add Freeman to his slate as treasurer it would make the choice easier.

[Peter Bokhout]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Karpov may not be an "amazing" candidate but he is at least a decent one. That is be good enough to vote against a corrupt one. Give decency a chance.

I quite agree with our Canadian champion! Anatoly Karpov looks good precisely because he has not become involved in chess federation issues, which in the last few years have only served to weaken FIDE. With Anand remaining as World Champion and a very decent Magnus Carlsen on the horizon, Karpov would be in very good company.

[Michael Yip]

Re: Karpov's Platform

I read the platform-reads like superficial PR fluff

Some parts
Ending the crisis with a return to FIDE’s roots
"Chess is in crisis today because FIDE has become disconnected from its foundations: the federations and the players. Mr Karpov believes that support for our new direction must come from below, to benefit the many, not from above to benefit the few."
So what exactly is the 'crisis'?
Some things that might be
-ratings inflation(they seem to be addressing it. How well I don't know)
-title devaluation(not sure if its a crisis. I'm watching IM norm tournaments now where the required IMs are less than 2300. It's another pet peeve of mine-more titles for XYZ country the better. But is it really? It's just the illusion of achievement)
-Titles that start with a 'W'(Don't get me started)
-shrinking length of world championship matches(24-20-16-12 now).
-the administration of the world championship cycle(perhaps)

Turn chess into a modern, professional sport
"Chess has great potential as a commercially viable sport. It has lagged in this development because the current FIDE administration has harmed the reputation of the sport and shown no interest or aptitude for modernization and professionalization. Mr Karpov believes chess requires leadership that understands why professionalization is essential and how to build a team to
achieve it."
So what exactly is is 'vision'? Pension plans? minimum wage? a players union?

The ability to unite and mobilize the community
"Chess has limitless potential and great resources among its millions of supporters and players around the world. Mr Karpov has the unique capacity to attract and lead these human resources for the benefit of chess federations and players throughout the world."
What ability is that?
-He has more name recognition
-He did the Karpov school(what happened to that?)
-He's friends with Kasparov and Carlsen and can get them to his fund raiser

KASPAROV has a better shot at this than Karpov.

[Jonathan Berry]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Last time I looked, a federation could nominate only one person for President. From that point of view, the Karpov vs. Ilyumzhinov choice is irrelevant for every country except Russia. In theory. Let me state that again. Under FIDE rules as I understand them, there can be no election where Karpov runs against Ilyumzhinov for President, because both are from Russia.

We're used to seeing FIDE make up rules as they go along. That's almost the job description of the FIDE President, in recent years. More such entertainment is certain in conjunction with this election. Therefore one can't blame the Karpov team for courting our support in its struggle against Ilyumzhinov's team. Something is bound to happen.

An additional ironic point is that the last four years has been Ilyumzhinov's best term, FIDE's best four years under Ilyumzhinov. We've had global economic malaise, yet the hit to the non-essential-service world of chess has been relatively minor. I'm not a fan of Ilyumzhinov, but I do like a juicy irony. The ironic point is that when FIDE was really really reeking, the FIDE member nations had the opportunity to vote for alternatives to Ilyumzhinov but didn't, and those alternative candidates got themselves co-opted into the bosom of Ilyumzhinov's team. In 2006, the alternative candidate Bessel Kok was so creditable that when he lost it seemed unlikely that anybody could ever beat Ilyumzhinov. A last (for now) irony is that the Rooskies may be doing the dirty work for the Western World, if they keep Ilyumzhinov out of the upcoming FIDE presidential election. Stay tuned for more fun.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Karpov may not be an "amazing" candidate but he is at least a decent one. That is be good enough to vote against a corrupt one. Give decency a chance.

Well, well, well, what do we have here? "Give decency a chance"....

But when it comes to Canadian chess organizers, only those passing Hebert's "amazing" litmus test are worthy!

Nevermind that an organizer does the decent thing and holds a Canadian Closed when no one else would. For some reason, decency doesn't factor into that for the Almighty Hebert! No, it has to be AMAZING! With signs, and demo boards, and announcers.

With your post here, Jean, you prove yourself to be totally inconsistent and not worth listening to. Now do the DECENT thing and just go away and let people who know what they're doing continue to do so.

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Karpov's Platform

"Chess is in crisis today because FIDE has become disconnected from its foundations: the federations and the players. Mr Karpov believes that support for our new direction must come from below, to benefit the many, not from above to benefit the few."

How can our Elitist Champion support Karpov? Hebert holds the complete opposite view if you substitute FIDE with CFC, as he has expressed numerous times on this board.

Maybe Hebert's left hand doesn't know what his right hand is doing?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Nevermind that an organizer does the decent thing and holds a Canadian Closed when no one else would. For some reason, decency doesn't factor into that for the Almighty Hebert!

How would you like spending a week playing in a poker tournament of mind numbing Texas Holdum, winning the event and being given a couple of hundred bucks. The expenses were higher than we thought and sponsors didn't materialize.

On the bright side, you did win the event. No doubt about that, you did win. Never mind the chump change you won probably didn't cover your costs but you are the winner of the great Texas Hodlum touranament. We know it was great because we ran it when nobody else would because it was a no win situation.

Oh yeah, you get to represent us in Siberia and we'll get you there 20 minutes before your tournament starts.

You also get to play on the Olympic team. Never mind when big time international organizers are looking for people to invite for events they aren't looking for players from teams that finished down the track. They prefer players from the top teams.

[Frank Dixon]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

I agree that Karpov is the stronger of the two candidates. I think the really important points in this thread, so far, have been made by GMC / IA / FM Jonathan Berry, who wrote that since both Karpov and Ilyumzhinov are Russian, a FIDE Presidential election between countrymen may be impossible from a technical standpoint. For this reason, is Karpov disqualified from running against a Russian incumbent!? That is the question I want answered.

Karpov's ethical issues may be ancient and relatively minor compared to Ilyumzhinov's, but he does face some lingering questions. Start with the 1984-85 World Championship match meltdown, with the match being cancelled without result after 48 games, after Karpov had lost games 47 and 48 to Kasparov. Karpov had lost weight and looked exhausted after five months of play, but he needed just one more win to claim the match. In Kasparov's book "Ultimate Challenge", he quotes the recently-deceased FIDE President Florencio Campomanes, speaking at the press conference which cancelled the match, saying to Karpov (and this was apparently caught on Soviet TV): "I told them what you told me to tell them." The world condemned Campomanes as pro-Karpov, and the whole situation smelled rancidly of a deal with Karpov, who got a sweetheart arrangement with a new match seven months later and a rematch clause if he lost. Two can keep a secret if one is dead, as the Mafia chiefs say, and the secret here is between Campomanes and Karpov. GM Spassky put it best with his epic comment: "Karpo-Manes."

Then Karpov has never really answered allegations from Kasparov that one of Kasparov's coaches in the 1986 rematch, GM Vladimirov, was selling match secrets on opening preparation and choice to Karpov's camp. Kasparov had a strong lead which suddenly vanished. He did recover to win the match. This episode is also detailed in Kasparov's book. The fact that Kasparov and Karpov were buddy-buddy in New York recently, fundraising for Karpov's campaign, may mean that this stuff is old news between them, but Karpov, if he becomes FIDE President, will be in a position to bury these scandals further and deeper, to the dismay of the world's chess historians.

[Jean Sasseville]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Here are the main reasons I prefer Karpov (and my prediction).

1) As a chess celebrity, Karpov will improve FIDE’s chances of attracting quality global sponsors. For example, his advisory board is composed of top-notch CEO. These are the type of individuals who can call other CEO and get their attention.
http://www.karpov2010.org/advisory-board/

2) He is big believer in the benefits of chess for children.

• opened at least 15 Karpov chess schools around the world
• in the early 1990s, he initiated the World Youth Chess Championship

3) He is a good person, for example he is a UNICEF ambassador.
http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/reallives_1345.html

4) He understands the need of the elite.

• less changes in formats for World Championships
• professionalization of chess

In 2006, Bessel Kok was a great candidate but lost. He attracted only Western Europe and part of Americas. A candidate with deep pockets gets more votes in other regions. I am afraid this will happen again.

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

The fact that Kasparov and Karpov were buddy-buddy in New York recently, fundraising for Karpov's campaign, may mean that this stuff is old news between them, but Karpov, if he becomes FIDE President, will be in a position to bury these scandals further and deeper, to the dismay of the world's chess historians.

The election is not about pleasing chess historians. And as far as I know the FIDE presidency does not give the power to rewrite history.

[Frank Dixon]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Recent FIDE presidents since 1982 have exceeded their granted powers on many occasions, it seems to me.

Assuming there are no other candidates for the position, 1982 will remain the last time that a FIDE president came from a country with a strong tradition of democracy. Perhaps no other sports federation in the world today has such a dubious distinction.

[Jean Sasseville]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

I agree that Karpov is the stronger of the two candidates. I think the really important points in this thread, so far, have been made by GMC / IA / FM Jonathan Berry, who wrote that since both Karpov and Ilyumzhinov are Russian, a FIDE Presidential election between countrymen may be impossible from a technical standpoint. For this reason, is Karpov disqualified from running against a Russian incumbent!? That is the question I want answered.

A. Dvorkovich, president of the Russian Chess Federation, mentioned recently that if Anatoly Karpov is nominated for the post from the other national federations, "I will not object, and will urge his colleagues not to oppose this nomination." Some observers have mentioned that Karpov could be nominated by Germany. Karpov plays for a German club. If the RCF nominates Karpov, I am sure Ilyumzhinov will find a way to be nominated.

[Jean Sasseville]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Just found a fascinating report on the 2006 elections:

www.chesscafe.com/text/hans120.pdf

Jan Timman: “Intimidation and bribery went much farther then we had expected. People have actually seen banknotes changing hands, but how to prove what the money was for? Bessel Kok will drop out after this adventure, this is sure.”

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

How would you like spending a week playing in a poker tournament of mind numbing Texas Holdum, winning the event and being given a couple of hundred bucks. The expenses were higher than we thought and sponsors didn't materialize.

On the bright side, you did win the event. No doubt about that, you did win. Never mind the chump change you won probably didn't cover your costs but you are the winner of the great Texas Hodlum touranament. We know it was great because we ran it when nobody else would because it was a no win situation.

Oh yeah, you get to represent us in Siberia and we'll get you there 20 minutes before your tournament starts.

You also get to play on the Olympic team. Never mind when big time international organizers are looking for people to invite for events they aren't looking for players from teams that finished down the track. They prefer players from the top teams.

Gary, thanks for using poker as your analogy, you know my likings. :)

Unfortunately, everything you wrote is irrelevant -- even aside from the comparison to poker, which always (at least I know of no exception) pays prizes FROM ENTRY FEES and gets no complaints for doing so.

The point is: Jean took a stand against organizers in Canada. Either they be AMAZING or they quit. Even if they are holding events DECENT enough that people do attend and enjoy them, that isn't enough.

Now, when it comes to FIDE Presidency, he says amazing isn't necessary, just DECENCY.

Would you vote for a politician who flip-flopped as badly as Jean has here?

Ok, maybe you would; it appears you have flip flopped yourself over the years in your voting. But most people want a leader that will be totally consistent.

I think you're at least slightly annoyed that Hebert has walked into this huge GOTCHA. He did it to himself, by not thinking things through... something I think he only does in a chess game.

And Jean didn't "represent us" in Siberia. Oooooh, they put a Canadian flag next to his name. He's doing it all for Canada! For the basement dwellers! HA HA HA!!!!!

And did anybody tell him "we'll get you there 20 minutes before your tournament starts"? More likely he did that to himself, probably trying to save a few bucks.

And finally, he DID play in the Closed and he did at least SUSPECT that conditions wouldn't be up to his standards. How could he possibly have thought otherwise?.... well, we are talking Jean Hebert here, maybe he didn't think things through, like "It almost didn't even happen, just at the last moment someone stepped in, so sponsorship is likely to be little to nonexistent, so I shouldn't expect my usual red carpet treatment and maybe not even all expenses to be covered." If he was truly surprised at the conditions, that just speaks more for his inability to grasp anything in the real world.

[Lucas Davies]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Saw Karpov when I was in France... His eyes were SO goddamn red. Was freaking me out. Saw some other people as well, but they are perhaps less noteworthy.