Plovdiv in Bulgaria hosts the European Team Championship October 10th-21st
2003. After the lights failed in round eight, with a 35 minute delay in the
time trouble phase of the games, round nine was more sedate, with the leaders
Russia and Israel playing draws on all four boards. The result was a clear win
for Russia, with 17 team points, followed by Israel with 15. You can find all
games and results at the links given at the bottom of the page.
On the free day reigning FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov took part in
a press conference and answered questions about his canceled match with Garry
Kasparov, his attitude towards FIDE, and his plans regarding the future. Excerpts:
I
think that the role of FIDE is to organize the World Championships and to
look for ways to save them. At the FIDE Congress in Greece in early November
we must learn Vladimir Kramnik's view about the situation. When the match
Ponomariov-Kasparov was canceled, the match between Kramnik-Leko is quite
uncertain. Maybe the best thing to do is to get together and review once more
the Prague agreement, in order to come out with the most proper and constructive
resolution. It should be possible for all strong players in the world to contest
the World Champion title on equal terms.
Who was responsible for the canceled match Ponomariov-Kasparov?
I have always wanted to play with Kasparov. I agreed with FIDE to find the
common way of understanding. As a matter of fact I refused to look for any
financial compensations for the spoiled match in Buenos Aires, which didn't
take place because of FIDE. Our disagreements were about tigh-break in case
of score 6:6, and we wanted one of the arbiters to be Russian. A meeting between
me, Kasparov and Ilyumzhinov was planned in Kiev, in order to solve our problems.
I didn`t know why Kirsan Ilyumzhinov made that decision to cancel the match.
Obviously Ilyumzhinov has his own rules.
Garry Kasparov openly accused Silvio Danailov, your manager, that he
bears most of the blame for the failure of the match. Were there any additional
financial claims from your side?
I think this is ridiculous. My opinion is, that Ilyumzhinov canceled the
match and he has the whole responsibility about that. I cannot understand,
what were his real motives. He took this decision by himself. Perhaps when
he was in Moscow he called Garry Kasparov to consult him how to act in this
situation. Perhaps Garry Kasparov was afraid of playing the match in Ukraine.
This could be the reason.
Do you planned to participate in the World Knockout System Championship
at the end of this year? If you win once again, are you going to play with
Garry Kasparov?
I think that searching for an opponent of Garry Kasparov in a World Championship
sounds a little bit strange. This will not lead to any solution of the problem.
In my opinion, the knockout system is completely regular. I personally won
my title in such a competition. I assume it will be better if Kasparov, Kramnik
and Leko also participate in such a tournament, but that will raise a number
of questions. I myself don't have any plans to participate in such a competition
up to now.
When Ilyumzhinov canceled our match with Kasparov it was quite interesting
for me to read Kasparov's book "My Great Predecessors". I friend
of mine gave it to me. The situation with the match, in question, is very
similar to what Kasparov has written – then Karpov was playing for FIDE, and
Kasparov was against it. Now it turns out that Kasparov is with FIDE, and
I myself should struggle against FIDE.
In a few months there will be a new World Champion, who will replace
you. Does it bother you that you will become the second champion to relinquish
his title without struggle, after Fisher.
My only wish is to play chess and to protect my title in an appropriate environment.
That seems impossible. Perhaps, an alternative competition should be organized.
Maybe the better thing is to give Kasparov the World Champion title, after
which an accurate and clear competitive system can be created. I aim at equal
conditions for every chess player trying to get the precious title –
a World Champion.
Here
is the full interview.