To: All National Chess Federations & Media
Subject: World Championship Match Topalov-Kramnik
Dear chess friends,
Today is a historic day for our sport! After months of consultations with both players, I am pleased to announce that the World Championship match Topalov vs Kramnik will be held 21 September – 13 October 2006 in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia. Both players and their managers have agreed with all the technical details of the match, which will consist of 12 games, and the prize fund will be a guaranteed minimum amount of 1 million US dollars.
This great match will undoubtedly end any confusion about the World Championship status after the unfortunate schism, which occurred in 1993 (caused by Kasparov leaving FIDE). In the beginning of my first term as FIDE President, back in 1995, I promised to work for unity within FIDE in all aspects. As for the World Championship title, it was not easy to satisfy all demands of the involved parties during all these years but we always kept our principles and actions within the true spirit of our motto GENS UNA SUMUS. Today our efforts have been justified!
We are all looking forward to this great event, the World Chess Championship Match 2006. I would like to stress once more that we shall definitely continue to work for a strong and united FIDE. As we have already done for the past 10 years.
May the best player win!
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
FIDE President
Comments?
Is it fair to other top Grandmasters? Is it fair that Kramnik once again get a shot at the big match while others do not?
Is it fair to Anand who is #2 in the world, only 1 point behind Topalov and about 75 points above Kramnik?
Who do you think will win and what will be the final score?
Do you think there would be a provision in the contract for the new Champion to defend his title in X amount of time so no one can hold the World Championship crown hostage?
I suppose they got the money issues right this time. It’s all about the cash up there. May the best win!
They have to play each other to settle the dispute. There will always be people saying “But Kramnik was never beaten in a match” otherwise.
And I would think Anand shouldn’t mind as it gives him a chance to scout out his opponent as he would be the obvious choice to play the winner.
What happens if Kramnik wins? Will he defend his title again in 2011?
WO WOW WOW WOW WOW WO W WOW WOW
VERY EXCITiNG NEWS
This is a match the chess world WANTS to see. NEEDS TO SEE, DEMANDS TO SEE.
and there should definetly be a provision that within three years this champion will need to face the winner of the candidates matches, interzonal knockouts,etc….
Is it fair to other top Grandmasters? YES
Is it fair that Kramnik once again get a shot at the big match while others do not? YES
Is it fair to Anand who is #2 in the world, only 1 point behind Topalov and about 75 points above Kramnik? YES
Who do you think will win and what will be the final score? TOPALOV WILL CRUSH KRAMNIK.
Do you think there would be a provision in the contract for the new Champion to defend his title in X amount of time so no one can hold the World Championship crown hostage? FIDE WILL NOW HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE TITLE. THERE WILL NOT BE MATCH CHAMPIONS UNDER KIRSAN. THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AS WE HAVE KNOWN IT WILL END UNTIL KIRSAN IS GONE. KIRSAN WANTS A WEAK CHAMPION.
I hope Topalov will crush Kramnik!
I don’t like it! This only a nasty way the FIDE president has used his peoples money to win over the best candidate.
Kramnik was Champion and Topalov is now, so I think it is a good idea to square off and unify the Title. Anand will get his shot at the Title.
TFK
Although I prefer Topalov, as I think about it, there is some good that might come out of Kramnik winning. it will be a blow to the present FIDE administration. It will show that a Match Champion has real value.
All in all, Kramnik is sick and I dont think he can beat Topalov who is playing at top form right now. This might prove to be Kramnik’s last big paycheck.
With more tournys to come, what if Anand overtakes Topa ? Then it will look silly.
– Vinay
Yes, it is a good idea. Anand had a chance against Topalov last year, and was fairly beaten. This match just brings Kramnik back into (FIDE) fold. Let’s hope FIDE continues under better leadership after the elections. We do not need politics. We need GREAT chess.
CE
There can be no unification unless Kramnik plays for the championship. So, if there’s wide agreement that unification is important (maybe it’s not), then Kramnik must be allowed to play. I assume that whoever wins the match will become the defender in the normal FIDE cycle thereafter. So, no additional rematch agreement is needed.
I thought there was a FIDE election coming up with Bessel Kok as the main opposing candidate to Kirsan. I wonder what will happen to this match, if Kirsan loses the election. That mostly means: will the money still be there.
6.5-5.5 to Topalov, unfortunately.
I have mixed feelings about this match. I want the unification thing to happen, however I feel it’s somewhat unfair because this match isn’t going to be between the two best current players.
Kramnik will beat Topalov in this match. Just take a look at all of their games played against one another. Kramnik beat Topalov +19 -9 =33. Even in recent games Kramnik beat Topalov +9 -3 =7. People seem to forget Kramnik is the one who beat Kasparov in a match when no human was able to do this. It is correct for this match to take place even though it is a political ploy by Kirsan but hopefully it should settle things even though the winner has to abide by the FIDE new system of World Championship which I feel is not conducive to best player being World Champion. I still would not place Topalov, Anand, Khalifman, Pomo, etc in the same league as Kramnik, Kasparov, Karpov, Fischer, Spassky, Petrosian, Tal, Botvinnik, Alekhine, Euwe, Capablanca, Lasker, Steinitz. Those are the true World Champions of Chess. It is a shame what FIDE has done to the prestige of the World Champion’s title. Need we bee reminded how World Champion Susan Polgar never lost her crown in a match but by politics. A little off topic but Susan’s latest book is great!
Here’s another comment. Is it surprising that Garry was going to be a baby in 1997 when he lost to Deep Blue after he was a baby in 1993 over playing conditions. Why is it that you can’t earn the grandmaster title unless you act like a spoiled crybaby?
The chances are close to even. We shall see how Topalov’s hot and cold streak results play in this match. Will he rein in his game a-la Alekhine against Capablanca? 2 points: 1) The degree of Kramnik’s recovery will be of paramount importance. 2) Kramnik will have less practice, but will have more recent material for review in the form of Topalov’s games. I suspect, but cannot prove, that Kramnick much lower rating vis-a-vis Topalov is exaggerated. Both parties have motivating factors: Topalov’s career momentum and Kramnik’s desire to prove that he has been underestimated. This has the potential to be a very great match.
Randy
It is absolutely the best thing for chess. One world champion, without conflicting claims that have at least arguable merit. And then, whatever championship system prevails ( I still prefer individual matches to a Swiss system), there will only be a single player with the title “World Chess Champion”.
Is it fair to the other players? Everyone had their shot in San Luis, and Topalov won fair and square. Kramnik is not as strong presently as Anand and others, but this is the ONLY way to clarify this issue and get a single champion. FIDE does do something right, once in a while.
— Mike D.
Is it fair? Maybe not. Is it great news? Certainly. First of all beacause it will put an end to the 13 year old schism in the chess world. Second because it will be a formidable match (of course Topalov has to be favorite in view of Kramnik’s recent results, but I think we’re gonna see the very best of Kramnik, who will have had time to get back in shape). So I think the question of whether Anand or anyone else would have deserved this match better than Kramnik is not very constructive nor relevant at this moment. The “bloodline” that goes from Steinitz to Kramnik is real, regardless of Kramnik’s rating. In a way one could argue that Topalov here is the real challenger. But in any case, I hope he wins, because it would put an end to the contrversy by reducing Kramnik’s claims to zero. If Kramnik wins, its another story, as the two titles would then remain seperate, as far as I understand.
Like Topalov but hope for a Kramnik victory. Better that the championship be held hostage by a world champion than a despot from a third world country.
Is it fair to Anand ? Probably not. Fair – if it exists, probably couldn’t be perceived due to the bias of self interest.
It may not be fair – but it is right
Is it fair to other top Grandmasters?
** Why unfair?
However, having said that I think it’s unfair to Topalov.
Is it fair that Kramnik once again get a shot at the big match while others do not?
** Unfortunately, yes, for unification reasons. If Topalov wins, this should be a once-off event and Kramnik goes down the pack like every other GM. However, if Kramnik wins, then, he is the Match World Champion.
Is it fair to Anand who is #2 in the world, only 1 point behind Topalov and about 75 points above Kramnik?
** I personally believe that the World Champion Match should not be about who has the highest rating (although it is desirable that the highest rated player is also the World Champion). Imagine a scenario where 4 different people each quarter held the highest rating in the world – does this mean the World Championship Match will be held every quarter? Too hectic.
Who do you think will win and what will be the final score?
** I hope Topalov wins, but in a match, I personally believe head-to-head encounters is much more relevant than rating (which is just a statistical PROXY for general chess strength against a large number of people, but not necessarily against an individual), so, I would have to predict that Kramnik will win, based on his overwhelmingly favorable past record against Topalov.
Do you think there would be a provision in the contract for the new Champion to defend his title in X amount of time so no one can hold the World Championship crown hostage?
** There should be one absolutely. We don’t want a repeat of the Kramnik saga as I think Kramnik will win (even though I prefer to see Topalov wins) …
This Is good news. It is clearly a political move on behalf of the Fide administration, but welcome none the less. But something has bothered me over the last year or so, and that is the calumny that has been levelled towards Vladimir Kramnik.
What exactly has this man done to deserve such acrimony? The slighting comments from Kasparov are understandable if not excusable. Kramnik beat him convincingly in a World Championship Match which was unforgivable. But, belittlingly Kramnik’s unfortunate medical condition and saying that Kramnik “belongs to the era of Kasparov” says more about his own ego and his childish characterisation of great chess players as some sort of emanation of the Zeitgeist as demonstrated in his otherwise excellent series of books. Yes, it would have been good to see Kramnik play more often as World Champion, but this doesn’t alter the fact that he earned his title by playing the 13th World Champion and defeating him. This is an unalterable fact. Since that time Kramnik has appeared to be working towards reconciliation with Fide. The title defence in Brissago was understood as a step towards that goal and the perpetual inability of Fide to fulfil their side of the bargain only prolonged the whole sorry business and exasperated chess fans. This business I suspect influenced the fact that Kramnik was unable to set up a WCC cycle of his own. He was waiting for Godot (whoops, sorry Fide). None of the above was the fault of Kramnik. He appears to have been the only participant to have acted honourably. Perhaps being honourable doesn’t matter too much in today’s world, still less in the small and spiteful chess community. Topalov has proved himself to be a worthy Fide World Champion, and should be congratulated (with Kramnik) for having finally come to an understanding. It should be clear that Topalov is the Fide World Champion for having won the strongest tournament of all time and Kramnik is the Classical World Champion having beaten the strongest player of all time. They are champions because of the chess they played and not because Kasparov, Susan Polgar or anyone else says so. May the best man win!
p.s. Sorry Susan – love you really.