Syria – the chess connection
First the story, as narrated in the international press: apparently the "glamorous
and fabulously rich Parisian society hostess" who has emerged as the mysterious
figure behind the defection, was Nahed Ojjeh, an arms dealer's widow, helped
to ensure safe passage to Paris for Manaf Tlass, her brother, who was a general
in the Syrian army and personal friend of Bashar al-Assad, the dictator.
The Sunday Times tells us that the 52-year-old lady, known to some of her acquaintances
as “Madame O”, has lived in France for 33 years and has performed
the same service earlier this year for Mustafa, her father, a former defence
minister, and Firas, her other brother, a businessman, when they fled to Paris.
Manaf Tlass, 48, who spent the past few months under house arrest, will join
his wife and children in his sister's Parisian mansion in the chic 16th arrondissement.
Ojjeh, we are told, has been described by friends as one of the most elegant
and beautiful women in Paris. She married Akram Ojjeh, an arms dealer, in 1978,
when she was just 18 and had reportedly been dating his son. He was 60 and had
sold military hardware to Saudi Arabia. When he died in 1991, his widow inherited
most of a fortune estimated at $1 billion.
You still don't get it, do you? Nahed Ojjeh "has emerged as an influential
society hostess whose penchant for intrigue goes hand in hand with a passion
for chess," writes the Sunday Times. Some of you might have recognised
the name. Madam 0 features in a number of ChessBase news reports a decade ago:
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Madame Ojjeh blasts the FIDE championship
22.06.2004 – With the Knockout World
Championship in full swing the negative stories keep pouring in.
The Syrian-French chess sponsor Madame Nahed Ojjeh has sharply criticised
FIDE and the Libyan tournament hosts. Her chess club, which recently
won the European Club Championship, is boycotting the world championship
on its web site. Here is her press
release... |
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Einstein: the players have all been paid!
17.01.2003 – "We are disappointed that
ChessBase neglected to check with us before posting the artícle,"
wrote Steve Timmins, CEO of the Einstein Group. He was referring
to the press
release of Jan. 15 in which Madame Nahed Ojjeh announced she
was breaking ties with Einstein for non-payment of some participants
at the Dortmund Chess Tournament, which she had sponsored. Timmins
tells us that all participants have now been paid. More
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Madame Ojjeh say NAO to Einstein
15.01.2003 – She came with high hopes
of reunifying the chess world. Nahed Ojjeh, Syrian-born multi-millionaire,
created the NAO chess club and joined forces with the British Einstein
Group and even put up the prize fund of the 2002 Einstein "Candidates
Tournament" in Dortmund. Apparently some of the monies did not go
to the players, and Einstein stopped answering enquiries. Now Madame
Ojjeh has broken all relations with the Einstein Group. More.
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Who is that lady?
21.07.2002 – At a press conference in
Dortmund our chess correspondent John Henderson spotted classical
chess world champion together with a very charming lady. It was
Madame Nahed Ojjeh, one of the great new benefactors of chess. Read
all about it in his latest
column and about other
matters surrounding the Candidates Tournament.
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The mystery benefactor of Dortmund
03.07.2002 – Who is the lady in the picture
on the left? Syrian by birth, now living in Paris, and one of the
financial driving forces of present-day chess. She is sponsoring
a Paris chess club, has staged a classical super-tournament and
is now backing the Einstein Group (to the tune of € 300,000) in
the Dortmund
Candidates. Read all about the incredible Madame Ojjeh here.
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And here it is: new plans for a reunified chess
world
25.04.2002 – The Einstein
Group in London and Nahed Ojjeh have announced their support
of the reunification of the chess world. To this end they are seeking
collaboration with all interested parties in a daring new proposal
that is to be discussed at the upcoming Eurotel
Trophy in Prag. The funding would be mainly supplied by Madame
Ojjeh, a Syrian born billionaire who lives in Paris. You will find
the joint press release of both parties here.
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Here is our report from July 7th, 2002:
Who
is Madame Nahed Ojjeh?
Her name appears more and more often in the chess world. Born in Syria, she
now lives in Paris, where she dedicates herself to the promotion of chess and
is regarded as the greatest international sponsor of the royal game. We are
talking about Madame Nahed Ojjeh, who is is currently backing the Einstein Group,
which in turn is responsible for the candidates
tournament in Dortmund.
Madame Ojjeh's trademark "NAO Chess" is gaining more and more importance. Last
year, Nahed Ojjeh took over a traditional Paris chess club, in March 2002 she
organised her first classical chess super-tournament, the NAO Masters in Cannes,
and now she has set her sights on other big projects in Europe, Asia and the
US. The cooperation between Madame Ojjeh and the multi-media company Einstein,
which came about when the Dortmund Candidates was being planned, is an ideal
combination and raises hopes for future chess activities, not only in top-level
chess.
Nahed Ojjeh on her motivation: "I have often asked myself why chess is so neglected
in education. In almost all schools in this world children are taught music
or art, whether they like it or not, whether they have talent for that or not.
But there is no school program in which they have the option to choose chess
instead. To change this is not unimaginable. Instead of suffering at a piano
or an easel, a lot of children would blossom at the chessboard. Future Capablancas,
Alekhines or Karpovs possibly among them.
Chess enables the young mind to have an insight into the fights and quarrels
of daily life. The child formerly at a disadvantage now decides responsibly
on his or her own, and can suddenly enjoy big successes. The wide scale of possibilities
to teach chess in our schools helps to narrow social gaps and contributes to
social harmony. I am convinced: Chess as part of our education and development
can help to make the individual less violent and helps to chase away one's demons.
Nahed Ojjeh with then World Champion Vladimir Kramnik
We should now seize the opportunity to use the extraordinary position of technology
in our world of today for chess. The electronic image, artificial intelligence
and the internet can help chess to occupy an entirely new position. It is not
unreasonable to assume that chess can soon take up its rightful place as part
of our educational systems.
Finally, I hope that the tournament in Dortmund is a promising step towards
the reunification of the chess world. To the participants of the candidates
tournament I wish 'bonne chance'."
Ilyumzhinov in Syria (and Libya)
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Ilyumzhinov visits Bachar Assad in Damascus
30.04.2012 – Is anybody surprised? Yesterday
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was in the Syrian capital and had a
three-hour talk with beleaguered President Bachar Assad, who, according
to Ilyumzhinov, "plays chess very well – since his studies in London".
During their discussions Assad "pledged on a number of occasions his allegiance
to the peace plan proposed by Mr. Kofi Annan". Press
release.
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Illumzhinov: Gaddafi is alive and well in Tripoli
24.08.2011 – The rebels stormed his compound
in Tripoli, NATO and US Intelligence are searching with satellites and
surveillance drones for him, without success. But in the middle of the
manhunt for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi the President of FIDE received a call
on Tuesday evening. The Libyan dictator told Ilyumzhinov he was alive
and well, and 'certain to win'. His forces would 'drive
the rats out of the city.'
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Ilyumzhinov-Gaddafi encounter: international media reactions
16.06.2011 – News and TV channels picked it
up with glee: while NATO aircraft were (probably) targeting Muammar Gaddafi
directly, the Libyan dictator sat down with the "eccentric" President
of the World Chess Federation for a friendly game. Not really a positive
picture, and harsh criticism has rained on Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. He sees
his visit as a mission of peace and has appealed to people not
to politicize the issue.
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Ilyumzhinov visits the beleaguered Gaddafi
13.06.2011 – In a somewhat precarious move
FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has visited the Libyan leader Muammar
Gaddafi, who is under siege by rebels across the country and by Nato air
strikes. The visit was part of FIDE's “Year of Africa”, and Ilyumzhinov,
who has had good relations with Gaddafi for years, played a game of chess
against his eldest son Muhammad, Libyan
state television reports.
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