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“Kasparov and Karpov are playing another game, this time a political one.”
by GM Evgeny Bareev
May 28, 2010
Subjective speculations on a strange Kasparov-Karpov tandem
Kasparov and Karpov are playing another game, this time a political one.
Author: Evgeny Bareev – IGM, gold medalist of four chess Olympiads with the Russian team (1990, 1994, 1996, 1998), two World Championships (1997, 2005) and two European Championships (1992, 2003).
Latest scandalous events surrounding the Russian Chess Federation (namely a desperate effort of two Russian chess legends Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov, together with the Chairman of the RCF Board Alexander Bakh who joined them, to succeed in getting the news of Karpov’s nomination as Russia’s candidate to the position of the FIDE President, violating the Statutes of the organisation) made me think, why even the very idea of the joint management of the world chess movement by a tandem of the 12th and 13th World Champions seems to me a catastrophe for chess of the same scale as a Mexican bay fire for mankind.
During my entire professional chess career I have been a witness of a furious battle of Karpov – Kasparov against each other – both at the chess board, and around it – for the influence in various organisations and chess players’ unions and for various privileges. This fight always ended in eventual destruction of these organisations or receiving these privileges by depriving the rest of chess players of them. I would remind you in chronological order some episodes of the quasi-chess activities or actions of the Champions. and
1992. GMA (International Grandmaster Association) created on Kasparov’s initiative is split due to a implacable conflict of the 13th World Champion and his managers with the other members of the Association because of the GMA finances. According to the explanation given to me then by Karpov (I just qualified for my first World Cup organised by GMA, and was sad to receive an official notice that it stopped its existence), the team of Kasparov and himself demanded unrealistic salaries and stipends. Bessel Kok, the then CEO and one of the top managers of the Association’s Sponsor SWIFT, did not concede to this pressure and soon this young and aspiring organisation finished its existence.
1993. Kasparov refuses to play a match against Short for the title under the FIDE aegis, not wishing to give to them a small part of the prize fund according to the Statutes, and creates a new organisation – PCA (Association of Professional Chess players), under which he plays this match without any deductions. As a result for the following 15 years chess world is sinking into chaos. I’d like to note that Karpov immediately took advantage of the situation to his favour and having won the match against Timman, was announced again FIDE World Champion. Both Karpov and Timman before this lost their candidates’ matches to Short and disqualified from the race for the world chess crown.
1994. FIDE Presidential elections in Moscow. Unexpectedly for many the sportsmen exchanged their T-shirts. Karpov supported Kouatly as a candidate, and Kasparov – no matter how weird it would seem to you – his worst enemy – Florencio Campomanes, famous for stopping the “unlimited battle” Karpov-Kasparov of 1984-1985 with a score 5-3 in Karpov’s favour and publicly accused of defending the interests of the opponent. First vote is a tie! The next day Kasparov’s team won convincingly. I recall seeing Kasparov up to now, who during the summer of the same year at the Novgorod tournament was dreamingly mumbling “Khoper, Khoper”, rubbing his hands. This was the first time I heard this strange word from him. Then it turned out that this “organisation” is a financial pyramid, which deceived dozens thousands of people in the whole country – and which was a generous sponsor of those FIDE Presidential elections.
1995. Karpov wins a convincing revanche. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov makes his first entry to a chess stage and at the extraordinary FIDE Congress immediately becomes President. With Karpov behind it. The mother of the 13th World champion was most upset by the fact that prior to that Ilyumzhinov was eating soup in her kitchen and did not share his plans with them. She promised not to ever invite him for lunch.
The same year Kasparov wins in World Trade Center in New York his match over Anand under PCA version, which he and Short created after they left FIDE. As it turned out, this was the last official event under the PCA aegis. Since the moment of Ilyumzhinov’s election as FIDE President Kasparov refuses to play in the tournaments under FIDE aegis, stating that Ilyumzhinov organises his championships for “dirty money”.
Approximately around the same time the battle at the “Eastern front” is becoming more agitated: Karpov and Kasparov are clashing over the control in the Russian Chess Federation, and in reality – as it seems – just for the right to manage the Central chess club on Gogolevsky blvd. This time in an exhausting struggle, after long legal suits the 13th World champion and his team won. Immediately after this moment the legendary club was let to various private companies, having nothing to do with chess. It is a mystery for me personally, where the money from these leases went. As GM S. Dolmatov was saying at that time, these years “the RCF budget was of a totally closed character. I as a Grandmaster, was not aware how and what money the RCF was making and how it spends it”. Dolmatov meant first of all the Chess Club and was demanding to organise a “comprehensive” inspection of it, saying that “there are some dirty games going on behind our backs”.
1996. Elista is staging a World Championship title match between Karpov and Kamsky with the prize fund being provided by the President of Kalmykia. Karpov convincingly wins and Kamsky, declaring that Karpov and Kasparov will never allow him become World Champion, leaves chess for nearly a decade.
Kasparov plays a commercial match against Deep Blue, sponsored by IBM. Intel, an opponent of IBM, who has been sponsoring PCA for three years and spent during this period more than five million USD, immediately calls off future cooperation and leaves chess, which causes the collapse of Kasparov’s organisation. One year later, having lost another match to the same computer, Deep Blue, Great and Terrible, as admirers, followers and true friends of Kasparov call him, publicly and harshly accuses IBM in unfair play, and as a consequence, chess loses another large sponsor.
1997. First knockout World championship was organised. Ilyumzhinov thanked Karpov for his Presidency by a unique format – after winning six most difficult mini-matches, Anand – the current World Champion- in a few days- met Karpov for a six-game so-called final, where Karpov has been resting for a month preparing for the forthcoming event. So, it was not a surprise when exhausted Anand lost the tie-break. Karpov became a knockout “World Champion”.
1999. Second World knockout Championship is organised in Las Vegas. This time the negotiations with FIDE have not brought a desirable result and the Champion has to defend his title from the second round. Karpov is indignant and sues FIDE. Besides, after having refused to participate, in the US he is trying all his resorts to cancel the 3 million USD prize fund event, writing to the Nevada Governor a request to do it. Having learnt about it, chess players were very angry, and a German GM Lobron was chasing Karpov during a Dortmund tournament (Lobron has drank too much) with the aim to inflict light bodily damage.
The result of a conciliatory encounter of Ilyumzhinov and Karpov was his withdrawal of his suit. We can only guess the reason which made a principled person give up his claims.
2000. Kasparov, who has not defended his World Championship title for five years, finally picks up his challenger – Vladimir Kramnik. Before this, due to various reasons, including financial ones, two matches for the titles fell through – against Shirov and Anand. Kasparov loses the match in all aspects and violating the contract signed by both participants before the match, immediately demands the revenge. We should remind you here that in the mid-80s, as a result of some serious struggle, he managed to cancel such matches, as Karpov was a stickler of the revanche.
2001. M. Botvinnik Memorial in Moscow. Kasparov, Kramnik and Karpov in a match-tournament. Shortly before the start, after reaching the agreements with the organisers of this event which had aspirations to become historical, Karpov “suddenly” refused to play and preferred due to some reasons which we can only guess about, the knockout World Championship, “incidentally” organised by FIDE during the same dates in the same city. In the first very round he lost to a Chinese player, who was not well-known. This is the end of the brilliant chess career of Karpov.
2002. Ukrainian R. Ponomarjov becomes FIDE World Champion. Kasparov, as it seems, is trying a campaign of public lauding of Ilyumzhinov’s virtues with the aim of returning the World Championship title by any means. They say that at the Bled Chess Olympiad, having his turn for a move, but just seeing Ilyumzhinov in the playing hall, Kasparov rushed to hug and kiss him under the approving roar of the audience. The same year Kasparov in fact started a campaign against Ilyumzhinov’s “chase” by media, praising the achievements of the latter in his capacity as Kalmykia’s state figure and a unique world chess leader. “Kommersant” newspaper wrote: “ The most expensive present was handed to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov by a chess player Garry Kasparov – his assurances in sincere friendship and his support of all the initiatives as FIDE President, and recognition of his being wrong in the past”. Quote from “Moskovsky Komsomolets”: “Kasparov underlined that now they are connected by business and commercial relations, which sometimes are stronger than friendly ties”.
The result of these in my opinion, humiliating speeches of Kasparov was the famous Prague Agreement and the right for a FIDE World championship title without any sporting qualification, which actually was canceled the last moment. Ponomariov refused to play the match due to very strong pressure from Kasparov himself and a number of FIDE officials. Karpov at that period was accusing Kasparov in destructive activity: “Kasparov has made many mistakes. The situation in FIDE and the fact that the former harmonious World Chess Championship system is now turned into something incomprehensible – this is the result of Kasparov’s intrigues and activity”. Then chess circles had the following ironical saying: “President of FIDE and Kalmykia now has only clean banknotes. So Kasparov can play for them with his conscience being clear”.
2004. After Kasimdzhanov becomes new World knockout Champion, Kasparov of course receives a right to play a match for the title against him. Ilyumzhinov refused to personally provide the prize fund, and Kasparov failed to attract other sponsors. Years of public humiliation were wasted, he did not managed to return his title, and Kasparov again joins Ilyumzhinov’s opposition.
2005. Kasparov announces that his chess career is over.
2006. Karpov declares that he is going to run for the FIDE Presidency. As a result of a personal meeting Iyumzhinov succeeds to find solid arguments, and Karpov gives this idea up.
2006–2009. Happy years for chess. Several matches for the title were played. Chess world is unified. The number of top tournament increases alongside with earnings of professional chess players.
2007. Karpov as a member of the Public Chamber, brings the 64-Chess Review magazine to Kasparov in his detention cell. He was not allowed to see Kasparov, and he passes his small present through the mother of Kasparov – Klara. Historical reconciliation of earlier implacable opponents takes place.
2009. Karpov-Kasparov rapid chess match in Valencia. The announced series of similar matches does not take place due to the absence of interest in the world to their creative and sportive components.
2010. Karpov declares that he is intending to run for the FIDE President’s position with the objective of “saving chess which are in the deepest crisis”. Kasparov immediately renders him informational and moral support, trying to secure votes in a number of Western countries and the USA.
Of course, this is just a fraction of the events which have been taking place during these years with participation of Karpov and Kasparov. But even a quick glance is enough to understand that if destructive energy of two pupils of the Soviet chess school is united in one position – FIDE President, then chess players will have difficult times ahead of them. I do believe that this shall not happen.
Nezavisimaia gazeta ©
27.05.2010: http://www.ng.ru/regions/2010-05-27/5_champions.html
Kasparov and Karpov were great players but they are bad for chess. They don’t care about chess players. They only care about themselves.
Does Karpov have a plan or does he plan to just attack Ilyumzhinov?
No one should get surprised if Kasparov starts getting associated with Vladimir Putin in near future or even hug him in a private function where both are invited.
Karpov will be a good Fide president. Kasparov regrets he leaved Fide and caused chaos in the chess world. Best wishes to the chess world.
Karpov and Kasparov gain the attention of worldiwd media. Chess needs this. Ilhumzhinov makes news because he met aliens, which is not good for chess. Kasparov has learnt a lesson from his mistake with PCA and regrets it, so I think he wants to do some good. Ilhumzhinov doesn’t think he does anything wrong – which is even more worrying! We need to put the past behind us and give Karpov a chance to make good changes for chess.
The both K. ‘heroes’ are being the tragedy for organizational matters in chess.
Neither Karpov nor Ilymuzhinov shall be Fide governors.
The 3rd person is neccessary.
when he said “subjective” he sure meant it.
Bareev obviously has some personal dispute with Karpov and Kasparov so I doubt his objectivity, although there is some truth in what he writes.
But on the other hand Ilyumshinov was and is just bad for chess. All these World-Cup events in faraway places make no real sense.
And the World Championship Cycle has to get back on solid ground finally.
Just look at what happened in the last cycles after the re-unification match Kramnik-Topalov:
– Kramnik was World Chess Champion (WCC) but instead of finding a candidate for him, Kramnik had to enter a tournament for the WCC in Mexico just 7 month after the last WCC match against Toplaov. Because of this stupid arrangement another stupid arrangement was made: he was granted a re-match.
– Topalov, who was defeated in 2006 by Kramnik got a free match against the World-Cup-Winner Kamsky in 2009 (!!! – 3 years after his loss against Kramnik) without any qualification on his side at all. After being defeated by Anand he still retains a right to participate in the upcoming candidates matches (a privilege which still can be traced back to his losing the match against Kramnik in 2006 by the way !!!).
– the ongoing WCC cycle is also completely confusing and Carlsen, Morozevich for example chose not to participate. Nobody knows at the beginning, how many slots will be granted for which achievement etc. In the end there will also be a FREE slot (!!!) which can be filled by a sponsor.
This all leads me to believe that Karpov – no matter his behaviour in the past – will definitely be no worse than Ilyumshinov.
“Latest scandalous events surrounding the Russian Chess Federation (namely a desperate effort of two Russian chess legends Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov, together with the Chairman of the RCF Board Alexander Bakh who joined them, to succeed in getting the news of Karpov’s nomination as Russia’s candidate to the position of the FIDE President, violating the Statutes of the organisation) made me think…”
Talk about getting off on the wrong foot. What is scandalous about a simple public vote? Which part of Dvorkovich’s doubletalk is he referring to as contrary to the RCF’s rules? There are so many to choose from:
– Karpov’s nomination wasn’t valid because the meeting was held at the wrong location (i.e., the location of such meetings for decades and the location designated on written notices and on the RCF’s website before and well after the meeting was concluded).
– It also wasn’t valid, Dvorkovich says, because he wasn’t at the meeting, (in other words, by skipping out at the last minute on a meeting that he himself has called he can of overthrow the organiztion rules by creating for himself a one-man veto notwithstanding the fact that the rules specify that he does not have the final say in anything and can’t even sign on behalf of the organization.
– Even if Dvorkovich had been at the meeting it wouldn’t have been valid as the federation’s new charter hasn’t been approved.
– And even if the charter had been approved and Dvorkovich had been at the meeting it still wouldn’t have been valid because Dvorkovich had already chosen Ilyumzhinov (pursuant to some unspecified personal fiat) long before the vote that he himself scheduled.
Not a very solid foundation for an argument, is it?
Каsparov uses the FIDE election to play his dirty political games against Russian government. In his blog he is already posting that Karpov has secured 20 out of 32 votes for nomination. Lie.
Ilyumzhinov has always promoted chess tournaments not as some exclusive events for the elite, but his vision was to introduce chess in every school, every kindergarten, every university. That’s why some tourneys were played in some obscure locations.
Kasparov hates Ilyumzhinov for refusing to personally underwrite one of his tournaments when he (Kasparov) was unable to generate enough sponsors’ interest.
I am Russian, but I think it is time for a new face in FIDE.
Karpov is a Trojan Horse of that has been – Kasparov.