Round table: how to make the game of chess more popular
By Olena Boytsun
The subject of Marketing and PR for Chess is very popular nowadays; sometimes
its popularity can be so great that practical aspects may be forgotten. However,
when a lot of chess professionals gather together to discuss the issue of chess
popularization, the output should be productive. After all, people are the biggest
and brightest resource of the chess world.


Participants at the discussion: the President of the Association of Chess
Professionals (ACP) Vadim Morokhovsky; the President of the International Chess
Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Iljumzhinov; the President of the Turkish Chess Federation
Ali Nihat Yazici; GM Mikhail Gurevich; Olena Boytsun.
The round table “Popularisation of the game of chess: experience, perspectives,
plan of action” took place in Odessa on the 29th of May 2010. First time
both famous chess players and top-level managers of the chess world were invited
to discuss the subject together with the press and community representatives.
I chaired the event as the ACP Secretary General and head of the project “Marketing
and PR for Chess” (Russian).

ACP Board Director GM Pavel Tregubov discusses with Morokhovsky and Ilyumzhinov
Yazici and Gurevich confer during the meeting
My initial idea for the event was to hear the position of chess players and
to brainstorm for new possible ways of chess popularization from the perspective
of the players. In the end, the round table became a platform for the exchange
of ideas – the participants also had the possibility to address their
propositions to FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzhinov and ACP President Vadim Morokhovsky.
The representatives of FIDE and the ACP, of the chess community and press, and
all participants of the 4th ACP World Rapid Cup were invited to take part at
discussion. The candidate for FIDE Presidency Anatoly Karpov was going to participate
at the ACP World Rapid Cup, but unfortunately had to cancel the visit to Odessa.
The main aim of the round table was to evaluate already existing forms of chess
promotion and to develop a plan of actions both for Ukraine and the international
chess community. The questions of the target audience for chess projects, building
the personal brand of a chess player, and ways to improve the effectiveness
of the implemented marketing decisions were reviewed.

FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzhinov marked out several priorities
for developing chess popularization projects. First of all, it is necessary
to draw the attention to projects for an increase in the number of amateurs
and the development of chess among children. In addition, Iljumzhinov stressed
that it is amongst the main tasks of FIDE to get recognition of chess as an
Olympic sport.
Vadim Morokhovsky, the ACP President and the Chairman of the
Bank Pivdenny, noted that the main aim of the ACP is to protect the rights of
chess professionals. However, at the same time the ACP pays attention to the
development of chess for the masses and organizes special events for children.
The participants defined the following factors as having a positive influence
on the popularization of chess:
-
Support from a government, national state programs for chess development;
-
Inclusion of the game of chess into the program of the Olympic Games, work
with the International Olympic Committee (which is one of the current priorities
of FIDE);
-
Support from a sport manager, who may help chess players concentrate on
the game and on other chess promotion activities. A manager assists in administrative
questions as well as in questions of negotiations with sponsors and contract
signing; however currently there is a lack of professional chess managers
in the chess world;
-
A stable event calendar and the clarity in the cycle of the World Chess
Championship, the clear definition of the beginning and the end of the cycle;
-
Targeted actions toward the audience (currently most of the events on chess
popularization are not planned, but are spontaneously organized);
-
Informational materials on media relations (the absence of permanent and
systematic communication among press, federations and players was noted);
-
The perception of chess popularization as a project-oriented activity,
reputation management;
-
Social-corporate responsibility of the business community;
-
Widening “the base of the pyramid” (increase of the number
of amateurs);
Efficiency of project management
GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, among other things, noted that the knock-out
system is a tool for chess popularization, because such a system brings additional
elements of entertainment and rivalry. Ivanchuk also suggested that special
events for chess promotion, such as seminars, lectures, simuls etc) should be
more actively provided during tournaments.
Ivanchuk, GM Sergey Movsesian and GM Pavel Eljanov
underlined the reasonability of implementing a separate rating list for rapid
chess, because rapid chess events have a great potential for TV broadcasting.
The clarity of the World Chess Championship cycle was also noted as one of the
necessary conditions for effective chess popularization, because the events
of the cycle draw the special attention of press and a wide audience.
GM Vugar Gashimov raised a question concerning the forming
of a team of professional chess managers, the main task of which would be relations
with sponsors, fundraising and chess popularization.
GM Ernesto Inarkiev supported the idea of organizing additional
promotion events in general and marked out the communication with children as
the priority. Among reasons why it can be difficult for a chess player to work
together with a personal manager Inarkiev noted the financial conditions of
cooperation.
The importance of control in this situation and the effective allocation of
resources and contacts (including contacts with press) while providing the policy
of development was also emphasized.
Journalist GM Mikhail Golubev called upon the participants not to forget the
already existing resources and contacts while providing the policy for chess
development (“plan the development, but do not to push away what already
had been done”). Golubev mentioned the situation of a chess representative
of the wire service Associated Press. Because of the constant cancellation or
postponement of major official chess events, the management of AP decided that
the planning of the coverage is unreasonable and therefore cancelled the position
of a chess correspondent. Golubev also noted the postponement of major events
in 2008-2009 and expressed the opinion that “the game of chess should
not get a negative image due to the decisions that were not necessary to take”.
GM Pavel Tregubov made a proposition to develop and distribute a handbook for
press and national federations with the useful information for all target groups.
Chess players also expressed their interest in taking part in various events
for chess promotion.
The main result of the round table is that participants developed propositions
for practical application. The following propositions were supported:
-
To suggest to tournament organizers to include in players' contracts a
paragraph stating that these players would take part in special promotion
events (seminars, simuls, blindfold games, commenting on games, communication
with the audience, special actions, etc.) during the tournament at a convenient
time for them;
-
To develop a detailed description of a possible event package for chess
promotion (simuls, blindfold games, seminars, informal meetings with a chess
player, etc.);
-
To develop a separate rating list for rapid chess;
-
To organize a team of professional managers who wouldn’t deal with
the promotion of certain tournaments, but would promote the game of chess
in general. In case an international manager structure is not possible to
create, to use the connections of chess players to their trainers to organize
manager courses for trainers;
-
To develop and to publish an information handbook containing Public Relations
information for chess professionals, managers, national federations as well
as for mainstream media, journalists and wide audience with an interest
in chess. The publication of the informational handbook is to be done on
an annual basis, with constant information updates, including press contacts
in every country that is a member of FIDE. The ACP suggested developing
the media handbook for FIDE.
On the invitation of FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzhinov I will present the results
of the round table at the FIDE Presidential Board meeting in July 2010 in Norway.
List of participants of the round table “Popularisation of the game
of chess: experience, perspectives, plan of action”
- President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Iljumzhinov
- President of the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) Vadim Morokhovsky
- President of the Turkish Chess Federation Ali Nihat Yazici
- International Grandmasters:
- ACP Board Director Pavel Tregubov
- ACP Board member Sergey Movsesian
- Vasyl Ivanchuk
- Vugar Gashimov
- Ernesto Inarkiev
- Pavel Eljanov
- Mikhail Gurevich
- Alexander Moiseenko
- Mikhail Golubev
- Yuriy Drozdovskiy
- Alexander Kovchan
- Main trainer of the Ukrainian Olympic team Vladimir Tukmakov
- Marketing Director of the bank Pivdenny Dmitriy Gaidukovich
- Assistant to the FIDE President Berik Balgabaev
- Tournament Director of the ACP World Cup Maria Klinova
- Press-attache of the Ukrainian Chess Federation Anatoliy Yavorskiy
- Main trainer of the Vietnamies Olympic team Mikhail Vasiliev
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About the author
After working on her PhD in International Economics at the Russian
and Eurasian Studies Center, at St. Antony's College, Oxford University,
Olena Boytsun returned to Ukraine and is currently
living in Kiev. She is now the General Secretary of the International
Association of Chess Professionals (ACP)
and works in marketing and PR for
chess projects. Since June 2010 she is the Marketing Director of
the Ukrainian Chess Federation.
Olena has played chess since her childhood. Her current title is Woman
International Master. She is a regular contributor to the ChessBase
news page.
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