This means war
By ANDY SOLTIS
Last Updated: 7:45 AM, September 12, 2010
Posted: 9:24 PM, September 11, 2010
The chess world could be in for a nightmare scenario this month.
It begins to unfold Wednesday in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear world champion Anatoly Karpov’s suit to disqualify his opponent, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, in an election for president of the international chess federation (FIDE).
Also next week, a Moscow court is due to consider Ilyumzhinov’s defamation suit against Karpov.
And then two weeks later, FIDE’s 160 or so national federations will choose between Ilyumzhinov, the incumbent president, and Karpov, the reformist-insurgent. Ilyumzhinov is expected to win in a landslide.
But if the Swiss court vetoes Ilyumzhinov’s candidacy, Karpov — with the backing of perhaps only 40 countries — would become FIDE president.
Ilyumzhinov would likely fight back and could refuse to yield power. That would leave FIDE, the body that organizes world championships, in chaos.
It might get much worse: Ilyumzhinov … could even try to organize a rival to FIDE out of the 90-plus nations who support him.
Source: http://www.nypost.com
Sad to see a great world champion stoop so low.
Chess attracts crazy people.
I will play snooker instead.