FIDE President confident he will be granted visa for World Chess Championship despite appearing on US sanctions list
By Michael Pavitt
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has expressed his confidence that he will be allowed to enter the United States for the World Chess Championship.
The Russian’s attendance at the event has been in doubt after he was added to a sanctions list by the US Department of Treasury last November.
He had been “materially assisting and acting for or on behalf of the Government of Syria, Central Bank of Syria”, they claimed.
Ilyumzhinov claimed to be prepared to take a lie detector test to prove his innocence, having denied the charge and stating his only contact with Syria was in his role as head of FIDE.
The FIDE President claimed to the Russian news agency TASS that he has all documents necessary to travel and hopes he will be granted a visa.
“I have provided them with the information regarding all of my foreign travels for the last 15 years,” he said.
“On the average, I have 90 foreign travels annually.
“I have also passed finger prints scanning procedure.
“I am now waiting for their decision.
“I hope that next week I will be granted permission to enter the United States.”
Last December, Ilyumzhinov opted to withdraw from the legal, financial and business operations of FIDE until his name was removed from the sanctions list.
The World Chess Championship is due to take place in the Seaport District in New York City.
Norway’s reigning champion Magnus Carlsen will take on Russian challenger Sergey Karyakin between November 11 to 30.
Source: http://www.insidethegames.biz