Open letter by GMs Bareev and Svidler
For the past 13 years the chess world lived in a state of break-down. The
Elista match was organized to determine a unified World Champion, and create
conditions for the further development of chess. The match began brightly –
to the delight of millions of chess fans the contestants were clearly enjoying
a fair and uncompromising fight.
Former Kramnik second Evgeny Bareev of Moscow
However, when the match went off course for the FIDE World Champion Veselin
Topalov, his manager Silvio Danailov blew the situation up in the most unpleasant
manner, accusing Vladimir Kramnik of overly frequent visits to the toilet.
Silvio Danailov's hard-hitting actions were clearly designed to at least
put Kramnik under pressure psychologically, and at most to disrupt the match.
Evidently, Mr. Danailov had no belief in the ability of his client to transform
himself over the course of the match, as he has done in numerous tournaments.
Two members of the Appeals Committee, Mr. Makropoulos and Mr. Azmaiparashvili,
who by their status were obliged to be neutral and uphold the law, took a morally
repulsive step of handing the tapes from Kramnik's recreation room to his opponent's
team. Then, on Danailov's request, they unlawfully changed the playing conditions
of the match, paying no attention to the fact that it is explicitly forbidden
not only in the contracts signed by both players, but also in the FIDE's own
Regulations for the organization of the World Championship Match (clause 3.18.3).
It is worth repeating that both Makropoulos and Azmaiparashvili are FIDE vice-presidents,
and it is obvious that such unprofessional and biased people should not be
at the helm of the International Chess Federation.
World's number four player Peter Svidler of St. Petersburg
FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov certainly should not have accepted the
point earned by Danailov in an unfair campaign against Kramnik. During the
press-conference after Game 6 Veselin, clearly embarrassed, admitted that he
acted impulsively when in one of his protests he threatened not to shake his
opponent's hand and stop attending the press-conferences after the games. It
was odd to see how easy it was to take back the incendiary words which so offended
both Kramnik and the organizers of the match. We believe that such blackmail
can not be allowed, and once again FIDE and the Appeals Committee failed in
their duty to do so.
By refusing to play Game 5, Kramnik forfeited a whole point in the World
Championship match to fight the mean and dirty campaign waged against him.
And although formally he lost, we believe that the leading players will realize
that as long as Makropoulos and Azmaiparashvili are in charge of the design
and running of the World Championship cycle, the future of chess is not too
bright.
To the disappointment of the chess fans, a wonderful match was ruined as
a spectacle to protect the financial interests of three people, and, regrettably,
in the eyes of the world community chess is once again associated with scandals
and dirt.
We are asking the top-grandmasters, World Champions and Ex-World Champions
to express their opinion on the events of the last few days in Elista, as a
number of leading Grandmasters have done already.
We are also calling on the FIDE President to sack Mr. Makropoulos and Mr.
Azmaiparashvili.
GM Evgeny Bareev, GM Peter Svidler,
Moscow 04.10.2006
