Hensel: 'They may try to plant a device in Kramnik's room'

To the Head of the WCC 2006 Executive Committee
Mr. Valery Bovaev

Dear Mr. Bovaev,

I have received information that the Topalov team might try to involve Mr. Kramnik in another scandal. According to this information they might be planning to create a situation by somehow manufacturing “evidence” to prove that Mr. Kramnik is cheating. One of the possibilities is that a member of the Topalov Team may plant an electronic device or something similar in the restroom or toilet of Mr. Kramnik.

The driving force for such an action would be to an attempt to divert attention from the public relation disaster the Topalov Team is currently experiencing, as a result of their previous attempts. In addition they might be hoping to force Mr. Kramnik to stop playing the match and abandon the event.

In order to avoid any such possible attempts as much as possible I would like to suggest the following:

1. Any member of Topalov’s team who is given access to Mr. Kramnik’s restroom and toilet should be meticulously checked by a specialist appointed by the organisation. Everything they have in their pockets and any bags they might be carrying shall be removed and not allowed with them in the restrooms and toilets.

2. Any team member of Topalov who enters Mr. Kramnik’s room shall be meticulously observed by a specialist during the time he is in the restroom and toilet of Mr. Kramnik.

3. Only one team member of Mr. Topalov shall have access to the restroom and toilet of Mr. Kramnik at any given time.

4. The organisation shall attend every inspection and confirm that everything was carried out correctly.

5. After the inspection of the restroom and toilet of Mr. Kramnik the facilities shall be sealed and only be opened at the time Mr. Kramnik arrives at the playing site. The physical inspection of Mr. Kramnik shall happen in the presence of one Topalov representative. The representative of Mr. Topalov shall have been checked before Mr. Kramnik is inspected (see 1. and 2.). The representative of Mr. Topalov shall have no right to touch or to speak with Mr. Kramnik.

Thank you for attending to this matter. From my point of view these measures might work in order to avoid the next international scandal.

Elista, 3.10.2006
With best regards,
Carsten Hensel
(Manager to Vladimir Kramnik, Classical World Chess Champion)

Reaction to the press release of Silvio Danailov

The press release of Team Topalov is obviously nothing more than yet another attempt to create a certain picture of Vladimir Kramnik. This press release lacks any scientific basis and therefore can not be taken seriously by anybody who has even a basic knowlegde of chess and computers. It is only intended to influence the mass media by throwing a shadow on the image of Vladimir Kramnik. The whole strategy of Team Topalov is obviously based to indirectly insult or to indirectly accuse Vladimir Kramnik of cheating without showing any evidance.

The members of Team Kramnik and with us the overwhelming majortiy of the chess world feels ashamed for the absolutely unethical behaviour of Team Topalov.

Foreseeing such activities of Team Topalov, I already requested yesterday additional measures to be taken by the World Chess Championship organisation in order to avoid this as much as possible.

In the meanwhile the entire Kramnik Team feels deeply insulted by all these activities of the Topalov team. We think it is a shame and we herewith ask FIDE President H.E. Kirsan Iljumshinov to initiate certain measures. In accordance with the press release of the Association of Chess Professionals we would kindly request a detailed investigation by the FIDE Ethics Commission. We hope that all events that took place at the WCC 2006 at Elista will be examined. The result and measures should be presented to the chess community as soon as possible, because we are increasingly concerned that the professional chess world will be seriously damaged if this can not be stopped.

With best regards,
Carsten Hensel
Manager to Vladimir Kramnik, Classical World Chess Champion
and on behalf of the entire Team Kramnik (Vladimir Kramnik, Victor Bobylev, Miguel Illescas, Valery Krylov, Alexander Motylev, Sergei Rublevky, Carsten Hensel)