GMs support Vladimir Kramnik

10/3/2006 – During the turmoil surrounding the World Championship in Elista we have been receiving record numbers of letters – over 300 from our readers yesterday alone. These are being edited and formatted, but in the meantime we bring you a few expressing support for their colleague, written by well-known grandmasters.

Elista 2006: Game six drawn in three hours

10/3/2006 – The good news: Topalov and Kramnik shook hands before the game! Topalov, determined to get his first over-the-board win in this match, played very aggressively once again, but Kramnik cold-bloodly held. We bring you a video link in Dutch TV, the revised shedule of the match and analysis by GM Mihail Marin.

Karpov: I wouldn't have continued the match

10/2/2006 – The twelfth world champion and five-time opponent of Garry Kasparov has great experience in world championship matches. And in Appeals Committees. In the Russian chess magazine "64" Anatoly Karpov commented on the situation on the Kramnik-Topalov match. Interview.

Botvinnik's brilliancy against Riumen's Worrall

10/2/2006 – Get that? You will at the end of Dennis Monokroussos' Monday night Playchess lecture, which is devoted to the young Botvinnik, who in 1935 tied for first in the Moscow tournament, ahead of Lasker and Capablanca. His most brilliant game was against Nikolay Riumin, which Dennis will discuss. Be there and enjoy.

Letters from Vice President Gelfer, the ACP

10/2/2006 – In these turbulent days the letters are pouring in – more than two hundred from our readers yesterday. They will have to wait for editing and publication. For now we need to get two out, one from the Honorary Vice President of FIDE Israel Gelfer and one from the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP). Appeal and criticism.

Jacob Aagaard: Queen's Indian – the Easy Way

10/2/2006 – Can one become a strong player without the drudgery involved in cramming volumes of openings theory. One can. Jacob Aagaard shows us how to minimise the theoretical burden and still get excellent results. Buy it now! or read this review by IM Hedinn Steingrimsson.

Elista Express: Game six to start shortly (we are told)

10/2/2006 – After two days of strife and intense negotiations FIDE has now announced that game six will begin at 15:00h Elista time, at a score of 3:2 for Kramnik (i.e. the defaulted fifth game will be counted). The press release makes it clear that agreement was reached – with the Topalov camp. We wait with bated breath to see if the game will be played. Express report.

Elista 2006: Kramnik agrees to play (under protest)

10/2/2006 – Just half an hour before the scheduled start of game six Vladimir Kramnik has issued a statement saying he will in fact play the game, but under protest and conditional to a later clarification of the status of game five. "I had to assess between personal interests and those of the entire chess world," Kramnik said. Statement and support from colleagues.

Elista 2006: Match to continue with game six

10/1/2006 – FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has announced that the World Championship match will continue on Monday, October 2nd, at 15:00h, after the toilet situation has been settled, and the Appeals Committee replaced. The match will proceed from a 3:2 score for Kramnik, i.e. Topalov retains the default point he got in game five. Full crisis blog.

Bessel Kok on the World Championship crisis

10/1/2006 – The Dutch businessman ran for the FIDE presidency against Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in June this year. The latter won, but he has now proposed that the world chess federation adopt large parts of Kok's agenda and make him the head of a professional organisation to run top-level events. We asked Bessel Kok for his opinion on the current situation.

World Championship Crisis – what our readers think

9/30/2006 – While the tumultuous events of the last two days unfolded, letters have been pouring in from all over the world, some very emotional, many imaginative, witty, or constructive. We would like to share them with our readers, and with the officials in Elista, who should get a feeling for the ground swell in the chess world. Take some time, it is a long but interesting read.

David Shenk on the History of Chess

9/30/2006 – David Shenk's book on "The Immortal Game", which traces out "How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain", is a run-away success. After an interview in ABC News, last week Shenk spoke about chess at Book Passage. Take time off and watch this interesting lecture.

Elista 2006: Match delayed, next game tomorrow

9/30/2006 – We have just received word from Elista that there will be no World Championship game today. President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov issued a brief statement stating that the next game would be tomorrow, Sunday, October 1st. No details were given as to whether it would be game five or six. We will keep you briefed.

John Nunn: 'It's about imposing your will on the opponent'

9/30/2006 – After Yasser Seirawan another highly repected grandmaster has written to us, presenting his opinion on the current crisis in the World Championship match in Elista. John Nunn, who worked in the GMA and has vast experience in the mechanics of such events, says once again chess has shot itself in the foot.

Andrew Martin – major broadcasting event

9/30/2006 – We kick off with a game from the European Championship, show a nasty, brutish example from a European Open, an encounter between Agdestein and Carlsen, and game two from Elista. But note: this week's Radio Show by our Playchess lecturer Andrew Martin is on Sunday. See you there!

Ilyumzhinov: 'You are playing for the entire world!'

9/30/2006 – The President of FIDE returned to Elista from a summit with President Putin in Sochi. At midnight he met with Vladimir Kramnik, and the next day he spoke with Topalov's second Silvio Danialov. They agreed to postpone Saturday's game and resume the match on Sunday. But with which game, which result and what toilet status? These questions are still unresolved.

How a loud tie won a chess game

9/29/2006 – Almost eighty years ago, on Sunday, May 08, 1927, the newspaper Times Signal, published in Zanesville, Ohio, carried a chess story on the tricks of the great chess players. It talks about "goat-getters" such as wearing loud clothes or smoking cheap "stogies" (cigars) that chess masters use to put off the opponent. Amusing read.

FIDE decides: common toilet for both players

9/29/2006 – The Appeals Committee of FIDE has taken a decision on yesterday's protest by the Bulgarian delegation. After viewing the video tapes it was found that the frequency of Kramnik's visit to the toilet had been exaggerated, but that the private WCs would be closed and a common toilet opened for both players. They also decided against the publication of the tapes. Toiletgate.

Silvio Danailov: Players must be accompanied to the bathroom

9/29/2006 – Just two hours after the FIDE ruling on the Bulgarian appeal the Topalov team has fired off another protest, demanding that the players must be accompanied by an assistant arbiter when they go to the bathroom. If the match continues Topalov won't shake hands with Kramnik.

Kramnik may stop playing the match

9/29/2006 – The team of Vladimir Kramnik has issued a statement rejecting the decision of the Appeals Committee and demanding that it be replaced because of its obvious bias in favour of their opponent. "The protests of the Topalov team and the suspicions in the press release of Mr. Topalov are utterly disgraceful and are touching Mr. Kramnik’s privacy." Will the match be interrupted?

Elista Express: Game five abandoned

9/29/2006 – Two hours after the scheduled start the game was abandoned, after Kramnik failed to appear on the stage. He attended the press conference and accused the Appeals Committe of bias towards his opponent. Kramnik stated that he was willing to play game five tomorrow, according to the rules agreed prior to the match. Express report.

Psychological Warfare in Elista

9/29/2006 – After a dramatic start of the World Championship the play on the board has given way to heavy psychological warfare. Our past three reports bear testimony to that. In Elista our correspondent Misha Savinov saw it all developing, including the monitoring of the player's rest rooms and the restrictions of toilet use. Pictures and impressions.

Elista 2006: World Championship Crisis

9/29/2006 – Game five was not played, Kramnik foreited and all sides seem unable to give way to compromise. The World Championship and FIDE is in its deepest crisis ever. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has interrupted his visit to a meeting in Sochi with Russian President Putin and is on his way back to Elista. Will he be able to break the deadlock?

Elista 2006: Open Letter II by Vladimir Kramnik

9/29/2006 – Silvio Danailov's protest was filed on a free day, it demanded changes in the event setup that according to the world championship contract requires the prior agreement of both players – these are the legal aspects of the decision taken by the Appeals Committee in Elista today. Kramnik agrees to proceed with the match, starting from game five, if certain conditions are met.