Canada will endorse Karpov?

[Jean Sasseville]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/

Ilyumzhinov is suing former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov for libel. Anatoly Karpov earlier accused FIDE of corruption:
http://www.karpov2010.org/2010/04/ka...orkevich-move/

Ilyumzhinov and Dvorkovich decided not to attend May 14 RCF meeting. In the following days Dvorkovich has sent guards to Chess House. Now Ilyumzhinov claims that a group of supporters of Karpov and Kasparov broke into the Chess House in downtown Moscow and seized the property.

Dirty warfare.

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Here is an extract of an article showing the colorful trait the current FIDE president.

Although chess organisations in Europe and the US will doubtless back Mr Karpov, most small countries with little chess background will favour Mr Ilyumzhinov." Times of London, May 24.

Will Canada (the CFC) act like a big country with some chess background or like a small country with little chess background, or like a big country with little chess background ? :)

[Jean Sasseville]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

Here is an extract of an article showing the colorful trait the current FIDE president.

"Ilyumzhinov claims to have formulated Kalmykian state policy by consulting a local witch and has a brand of vodka named after him. He also favours appearing at public occasions dressed as Genghis Khan, seated on a white charger. His prospects of defeating Mr Karpov for the leadership of Fide are high, however. Although chess organisations in Europe and the US will doubtless back Mr Karpov, most small countries with little chess background will favour Mr Ilyumzhinov." Times of London, May 24

If the CFC governors are sure of their choice, the advantage of issuing a press release early in the race is recognition and publicity. Future articles in the press would state that chess organisations in Europe and North America back Karpov.

[Jean Sasseville]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

This election is turning out to be a delight for chess journalists. Mig has written 2 new articles.

He compares FIDE to FIFA and he lists a series of yet unanswered questions:
http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnew...fide-president

He posted a new thread at chessninja:
http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/

[Jonathan Berry]

Chessninja thread

There is a thread at ChessNinja with an interesting intro by Mig and yer usual assortment of insightful and moronic comments appended. The FIDE elections are shaping up to be a real exercise in Realpolitik. It's like a chess game.

[Adam Cormier]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

wow Jean Hebert just got eviscerated equivalent to one of Jon Stewart's 'boom' moments.

Even if Karpov isn't a good president (which I believe he will be), maybe he won't even be a decent one, but is it even possible to be worse than Ilyumzhinov?

[Michael Yip]

Re: Karpov/Russian Federation

Karpov should fix the comical Russian Federation first, then having proven himself, he can fix whatever he thinks is wrong with FIDE.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

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.

Who gets the TV money?

The players making the pot and others making money from filming them, selling advertising, etc. It doesn't add up to me.

[Jean Sasseville]

Re: Canada will endorse Karpov?

In his excellent website (crestbook), Moscow GM Sergei Shipov wrote today that the Russian Federation will probably meet on June 4 and he expects that Kirsan Ilyumzhinov will be nominated.

"However, the cynicism of the current action of the new head RCF can play a trick on him in the international arena. We get the FIDE President Anatoly Karpov and totally alien to his native country a federation ...

PS There is a reasonable question - How does a spectacular seizure of power in the RCF Dvorkovich with a known indication of Russian President Medvedev, which prohibits gos.chinovnikam lead sports Federation? In my opinion, there is a contradiction . Actually, the whole meaning of the February congress just that and was to hide Zhukov and Dvorkovich in the shadow of Bach and collegial responsibility. And now everything and were back on the light.

PPS By the way, it would be interesting to know how is Alexander Zhukov to the current developments in the RCF. He became head of the Russian Olympic Committee, but has not forgotten about chess. As recently as yesterday, expressed the view that chess should be included in the family of Olympic sports. But his colleagues at this time staged Olympic passion in the offices TSSHK. But there was little chess. Rather, it was freestyle wrestling. Or fight without rules."

[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.

[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.

[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.”

[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.

[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 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.