Russian Chess Fed nominates Ilyumzhinov – sort of

RCF Ilyumzhinov nominated for the presidency of FIDE – Dvorkovich

MOSCOW, April 21 - RIA Novosti. The Russian Chess Federation (RCF) has proposed Kirsan Ilyumzhinov as a candidate for president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), said Arkady Dvorkovich, chairman of the supervisory board of RCF, presidential aide. FIDE presidential election will be held in September 2010. The current head of the organization is the same Mr. Ilyumzhinov. He held that position since 1995.

A letter on the RCF decision will be sent to FIDE within the next few hours," said Dvorkovich, adding that the decision of the nomination was made "after a series of consultations with members of the supervisory board of RCF.

According Dvorkovich, Ilyumzhinov was chosen as a candidate based on several factors, and the key was that "the RCF hopes that the FIDE President will remain someone from Russia. We looked at the chances of a number of candidates, and consulted with the various federations, which have shown that most federations are ready to support the candidacy of Ilyumzhinov."

• Source: RIA Novosti

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Chess Federation, Arkady Dvorkovich, told journalists today that the Russian Chess Federation is backing the presidential candidacy of the current head of FIDE, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. An official letter confirming the decision of the RCF has been sent to FIDE. The next election of the President of FIDE will take place this autumn at the FIDE Congress in Khanty-Mansiysk.

According to Dvorkovich, the decision was made after lengthy consultations with the members of the Supervisory Board of RCF. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the RCF told reporters about the considerations that had guided the federation to take this decision, as well as the actions the Russian Chess Federation can expect from FIDE.

The RCF hopes that the FIDE Presidency will remain in Russia, said A. Dvorkovich. According to him, consultations, including with other federations, have shown that most federations are ready to support the candidacy of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

The overall assessment of the FIDE President in his position in terms of RCF is positive. According to Dvorkovich, in recent years the necessary minimum has been done, although there is still a lot of work remaining.

The RCF’s support for the candidacy Ilyumzhinov is conditional on major changes in the working of FIDE. The Chess Federation expects several key decisions to be taken in the near future. Among these, A. Dvorkovich said, is the relocation of FIDE Headquarters to Moscow, and the rotation of the governing committee of FIDE. A. Dvorkovich hoped that these changes will be able to enhance the authority of FIDE chess in the professional community. Another important task is organizing the world championship cycle for men, which primarily concerns the current cycle. The confused state of the world championship is one of the main problems of FIDE, and the RCF’s support for Ilyumzhinov’s candidacy is conditional on the adoption of prompt and adequate solutions in this area.

If the above conditions are fulfilled, the Russian Federation will not only support the candidacy of K. Ilyumzhinov for the presidency of FIDE, but will also assist FIDE in implementing programs aimed at popularization of chess in Russia and the world, including Western Europe and the USA.

In conclusion, A. Dvorkovich expressed hope that its support of the other another candidate will cause A. Karpov to refuse cooperation with the RCF. "Anatoly Evegenievich has the right to be nominated by other national federations, and I welcome the competition, but in this case he can not be considered a candidate for the RCF", summarised Dvorkovich.

• Source: Russianchess home page
• Critical commentary by Mark Crowther in TWIC

Karpov Letter Regarding Dubious Dvorkovich Move

April 22, 2010

Anatoly Karpov Responds to the Actions of Arkady Dvorkovich

At a news conference on April 21 in Moscow, the Chairman of the Supervisory Council of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF) and Adviser to the President of Russia, Arkady Dvorkovich, announced that the RCF has decided to support the 2010 FIDE presidential candidacy of the current head of the organization, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. A letter to this effect was sent to Mr. Ilyumzhinov to present at the FIDE Presidential Board occurring now in Sofia, Bulgaria.

I must state that the world chess community has been cheated in the most blatant manner. According to the RCF charter adopted on February 19, 2010, the Chairman of the Supervisory Council is not empowered to take decisions of such importance unilaterally. The argument proffered by Mr. Dvorkovich, that he consulted with some Council members by telephone, is ridiculous. Instead of telephone calls, the responsibility of the President is to organize meetings with all 32 elected members for a thorough debate followed by a vote.

The assertions of Mr. Dvorkovich to portray a clear advantage to Mr. Ilyumzhinov in the election race is a broad and malicious distortion of a campaign that has only just begun. What is more, Mr. Ilyumzhinov has yet to receive official support from any major chess federation, while several – Germany, France, Spain, and the US – have already endorsed my candidacy.

Though his actions are unprecedented, Mr. Dvorkovich has made no secret of his alliances in this matter. This entire charade does little more than demonstrate the desperate situation of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov after 15 years of his inglorious rule of FIDE. The many intrigues and scandals visited upon FIDE by the Kalmyk President have made it impossible to attract the financing of chess competitions by legitimate corporate sponsors. As I wrote in my campaign mission statement, “A Champion of Change,” chess today is in a grave crisis and the only solution is a complete replacement of the current leadership of FIDE and the rejection of their compromised methods.

I cannot refrain from employing some chess terminology. The unsound Dvorkovich-Ilyumzhinov Gambit is nothing but a way to exert psychological pressure on many hesitant chess federations, where awareness of the need for change in the chess world is paralyzed by belief in the political invulnerability of Ilyumzhinov. At the same time, two senior Russian officials are ready to sacrifice the prestige of our country to achieve their disreputable goals, displaying contempt for law and public opinion.

I can look back on 25 years of defending the honor of my country at the highest level. After waging a hard struggle for the presidency of FIDE I believe I can reform this organization by putting intellectual modernization and a cleansing of corruption at the forefront. This I will do in full agreement with the tasks placed before our nation by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

Anatoly Karpov
Moscow, April 22, 2010

• Source: Karpov 2010 campaign site
• Also available in: Russian
• Infox Russia news story