The current President of FIDE Kirsan Ilymzhinov and the former World Champion Garry Kasparov will go head to head at the upcoming FIDE President elections in 2014. Today they both announced their candidacy during the 84th FIDE Congress in Tallinn.

First to confirm he is running for FIDE President 2014-2018 was Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. During the morning session of the 84th Congress he announced he wants to continue his ongoing project for FIDE and promised a hefty 1 million euro for the Chess In School program. Kirsan Ilymzhinov has been President of FIDE since 1995 and was re-elected in 2010 where he defeated his rival Anatoly Karpov decisively, winning this election by 95 votes to 55.


 

Garry Kasparov announced he is running for FIDE President later the same evening. Garry Kasparov was the World Champion from 1985, when he dethroned Anatoly Karpov, to 1993 when he left FIDE to form PCA. He continued to reign the PCA as Champion until Vladimir Kramnik defeated him in 2000 in London.

Kasparov announced his ticket: Rex Sinquefield, Ignatius Leong, Afrika Msimang, Jan Callewaert, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al Hamed.

Garry Kasparov and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov have their ongoing battle for decades. Kasparov was the one who initiated the split in chess in 1993, by creating the parallel PCA (Professional Chess Association). Coming on the scene in 1995, Ilyumzhinov’s main goal was to reunite chess under the “Gens Una Sumus” moto. He finally succeeded in 2006, when he and FIDE organized the reunification match in Elista.

More election news are going to come this week from Tallinn. Extraordinary General Assembly on 9th of October 2013 is being called solely to elect Chairman of the ELE Commission for the Tromso General Assembly 2014.

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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