RCF Ilyumzhinov nominated for the presidency of FIDE – Dvorkovich
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
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."
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.
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
