FIDE Elections 2006: Candidates On The March!

 report by John Lee Shaw

It is something that has been talked about and speculated on for some time; but now, as we get further in to 2006, the moment of truth with regard to the contest for the FIDE leadership, is drawing nearer. Is President Kirsan to be returned to office, or will we see a new administration at the helm, led by Bessel Kok? The 37^th Chess Olympiad is in May, and so too will be the FIDE leadership elections that will decide the answer to that question.

FIDE, as an organisation, has been in some dissarray over recent times. As well as claims of incompetence and mis-management of their responsibilities (numerous failures in re-unifying the World Championship being just one), there have also been more serious allegations of corruption. As a result of such issues, the credibility of FIDE to call itself any kind of governing body, has been subject to debate over the last few years especially. Chess lovers, ranging from the Grandmaster to the novice, have been left sharing the same despair with regard to the future and image of our wonderful sport.

One can not avoid the fact, that chess has been damaged over the last few years, but to be fair, FIDE and its current President can not be expected to shoulder the blame solely. In fact, the problems can be said to have started before Kirsan even took hold of the reins. Kasparov and Short, for example, certainly did the game no favours when they played their 1993 World Championship match outside of FIDE's auspices. They contributed to the damage done to a much reknowned and respected part of chess history. What has happened since, can be 'credited' somewhat to this decision, a decision that can be argued as to having been made due to politics, and sensationalism, rather than any thought what-so-ever about its impact on chess. We have since seen chess bombarded with more world champions than the game knows what to do with. Just one testament to what happens when politics and personal agenda's dominate matters, instead of the actual point, which is (and should have been) chess, and it's World Championship. And now, 13 years later, it is shameful to see, that we are only just about to see the consequences rectified. Fingers crossed that Topalov and Kramnik do play in September as rumoured!


And this, quite frankly, is where my defence of current FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov ends. When one talks about the credibility of Chess, and its governing body, which is FIDE, one has to say that under Ilyumzhinov's administration, it has taken something of a nose-dive. Not only have they taken 13 years (ok, let's be fair, 11 in Ilyumzhinov's case) to hopefully sort out the World Championship, (I am so reluctant to take it for granted), but they also tarnished it by making it a knockout tournament, an experiment out of which no good what-so-ever has come. This resulted, as Nigel Short himself wrote in a recent newspaper column of his, in a lottery. "Classical chess, rapid and blitz were jumbled together like the 10,000m 800m and 100m (what's wrong? It is all running, isn't it?). The great line of champions that began with Steinitz and Lasker added Khaifman and Kasimjanov to their number." No disrespect to GM's Khaifman and Kasimjanov was intended by Short, (as far as I know), there is a bigger point intended -- that a knockout tournament is no way to treat or decide such a prestigious title. Mind you, I do find it a little ironic, that Short (who not long ago stated that it was his idea to split from FIDE in his '93 challenge to Kasparov) should be commenting on damage done to the World title. "When in glass houses..." one could say.

Where the World Championship(s) are concerned, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov's FIDE inherited a bad situation and made it much worse, almost stripping it of its prestige and subjecting it to ridicule. I think in something of a panic, they wanted to give the appearance of business as usual, that there was life after Kasparov, and they went for a quick fix. I believe this to have been a catastrophic mistake for chess. We are talking about the World Title, a list of chess legends, the showcase of chess, that FIDE took control of in the late 1940's due to Alekhine's death. Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Euwe, Botvinnik, Tal, Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, just a few names from a list containing legend after legend. FIDE have treated this list with contempt by changing the requirements needed to join it. No more did players have to be among the best in the world, or among the top players, to challenge for the title, you just had to perform best on the day and be in form. That does not necessarily sort out the best from the best. Compare it to changing the football World Cup to a sudden death penalty shoot out, instead of the long matches that we are used to. Any team would have as big a chance as any other, it would come down to the unpredictability of what happened on the day. Germany going up against Alaska, place your bets! It would indeed be a lottery, like spinning a roulette wheel, and that, as football enthusiasts will know, is not how its World Cup is decided. Several rounds of 90 minute games are played, possibly with extra time, winners of each group go forward to play in the following rounds. A vast difference isn't there? So is there when comparing the classic World championship matches of old: (Steinitz v Zukertort 12¹/₂-7¹/₂, Steinitz v Lasker 7-12, Petrosian v Spassky 10¹/₂-12¹/_2, Karpov v Kasparov 11-13), with the knockout tournament of Las Vegas in 1999, Anand-Shirov (3¹/₂-¹/₂) in 2000, Ivanchuk-Ponomariov (2¹/₂-4¹/₂ ) 2002, etc. 

Added to the incompetance with which FIDE has cared for the World Championship, can be the damage that allegations of corruption have done to FIDE's reputation. These allegations have not stopped at FIDE's doors, but have gone further afield to encompass Ilyumzhinov's Presidency of the Russian republic of Kalmykia. Rumours and allegations that have so far seemed to have gone un-answered, or un-refuted. Though, I should add here, that they have not been proven either. However, one must put things in perspective, and think of chess and it's governing body. Kirsan has held the reins for 11 years, and the failures and negatives seem to be overshadowing the successes and positives. The question is, how much more of it can chess take?

Still, according to former World Champion Anatoly Karpov, Kirsan has a 100% chance of being returned to office. "The major reason is that Bessel Kok only looks at chess from the point of view of the professional chess players." Stated Karpov, "But Chess Federation incorporates much more than this. And professional chess is only tiny part of entire range of events and activities which take place the World of Chess."  Certainly, if one would assume that Kirsan's support would be somewhat lacking, it would be a wrong assumption. 40 Chess federations are said to be supporting him (though one of them (Afghanistan) also is said to be supporting Bessel Kok, according to his website).

And what of the alternative, Bessel Kok, and his 'Right Move' campaign? Well, he certainly has his fair share of supporting federations also. 30 are listed on its website -- one of them being Afghanistan though, who also are reported by Kirsan's 'Fidelity' Campaign website to be supporting him, as mentioned. So, the score is 39-29 then? Hardly here nor there, really, with Bessel Kok himself saying that the big decisions will be made in Turin in the final 2 weeks of the campaigns. Between now and May there is a lot of time for turn-abouts, and I suspect that much effort is being invested by both sides to that affect. Kok has the people behind him to do some persuading too, the most recent signature to his campaign is veteran GM Viktor Korchnoi. He joins names such as Polgar (Judit), Speelman, Short, Adams, Gelfand, Ivanchuk, Nunn, Levitt, Timman, Seirawan, in support for Bessel Kok.

Whoever should win the elections, they have much work to do. FIDE's tarnished image must be restored if chess is to grow, indeed survive. The credibility and authority of its governing body must be re-built. The prestige must be returned to its World Championships if our sport is to be given the recognition it so deserves. Chess must be promoted in its present, and invested in for its future. The focus must be chess and its best interests -- these have been neglected for far too long!