Dear Vladimir,
Through absolutely no fault of your own, you have suffered the consequences of an unprecedented combination of unethical behaviour from your opponent and glaring incompetence, for lack of a stronger word, on the part of the Appeals’ Committee.
In spite of an evidently unfair treatment, which has not only resulted in your being forfeited of one game, but also of being subjected to petty attacks and ridiculous accusations from the opposing camp, you have accepted to continue the match, for the sake of reunifying the chess world. This is a very impressive decision. It testifies to your remarkable sense of honour and is worthy of your true status of World Champion.
Regardless of the final result of this match, you have earned the deepest respect of your fellow grandmasters and colleagues, as well as countless chess fans around the world. Thank you for being a model sportsman in a time and place where so many circumstances turned against you. You deserve to win.
With unfailing support,
Joel Lautier (France)
Almira Skripchenko (France)
You can add your name to this letter if you wish to support GM Kramnik by posting in the comments
ehhh… how can i add my name? I’d like to
sincerly, Vohaul
Signature: Gents Una Sumus!
Regardless of the result, Kramnik is the true world champion.
“Regardless of the result, Kramnik is the true world champion.”
??? What a ridiculuos comment.
I would love to add my name. but I will do it elsewhere. You susan did not take the position of the letter. You supported Topalov and have voiced against Kramnik for years now.
I think it is improper for you to act as if your opinion is now with the majority of chess fans in the world.
If you want to ask people to support this view then you should have taken this view a long time ago.
But let there be no mistake. Kramnik has world class champion character. I have strong doubts about you Susan. Your attitude of not liking Kramnik. being in the topalov camp. and then trying to push kramnik with just play no matter what the problem is, is just not acceptable.
You can not have it both ways Susan. that is called 2 faced.
And Susan this is not just my opinion. I am reading in blogs all over the internet that people do not like your stand on this issue from the beginning. Read the blogs. they complain about your intractable support of Topalov and refusal to see the issue correctly.
Your a stubborn woman Susan. way too stubborn. You need some flexibility. You need to accept that you have been WRONG. and you can apologize right here in your blogs.
And you’re a cowardice moron who has no balls to post with your own name. If you don’t like what she has to say, why come here?
Agreed Jerzy. This guy is a moron.
NO – the “anonymous” guy is not a moron! he has just my sympathy!
this poor man (woman) is in urgent need of help! do you think, that there is a possibility to locate that patient whithin the next ten minutes? my IP search is underway …
sincerly and very worried, Vohaul
I would only add my name to a letter supporting both players. Sorry, but I think this letter is a bit naive.
IM ALmira and GM JOel should grow up first and then write the letter.
Susan,
I very much admire you as a player and chess personality, but
I respectfully disagrees with your recent posting. I am puzzled how you can “praise Veselin” for continuing in the match and offer your sympathy for the difficult situation he faces, and at the same time, both criticise his manager and caution fans to not jump to conclusions because of not having enough information to make a judgement. Sounds a bit wishy washy to me. Lets be straight. Firt of all, how can you criticize Danilov and praise Topalov? Is Topalov not responsible for his manager’s actions? Does he not have the final say in what his manager says or does he? Is this situation not of his doing? And, if it is not, he should get another manager!
Secondly, this match, in my opinion, is not being played for the sake of two players alone or for the sake of determining who is the champion of the chess world;this match could potentially have significant implications for the chess world. Greater fan support, exciting chess, and unified world championship competitions are clearly in the best interest of all chess players, amatuer and professional alike. How many times will we all read about GMs complaining about the lack of money, sponsorship and ethical leadership in the chess world? Is this reality not in part perpetuated by the selfish and irresponsible actions of people like Topalov and his manager? Topalov should feel ashamed about his selfish, disgraceful, and childish acts. His objections could have been submitted respectfully. Instead he very publicly shifted the spotlight from the board to the bathroom. His actions disgrace himself and the chess world as a whole, and I am surprised, as an important figure, that you have not stated as much yourself.
andrewptrk
There are some flat out off-the-wall banana peels posting on this blog now! If you read the sum total of all Susan has written on this issue in the last 72 hours, you’ll see there is NOTHING inconsistent with this letter. A bunch of you clowns latch onto single phrases in complex, on-going discussions to slam our genial host. You are entitled to your opinions, but you are rude and misguided nonetheless.
Thanks so much for all your hard work and insight this weekend, Susan, and for providing this forum to participate in discussions of the WCC crisis.
— Mike D.
Mike D.
If Kramnik wins it will be win of humanity and civilisation over the devils in the world!Animals with huaman face:Mongol-Tatars;Otoman-Persians;Hun(mongol product)-gars;Vul(oficialy Bul but they are combination of the first 2)-gars and Fins(mongol product).All of this (excluding Fins and Huns partly) is part of Topalovs d.n.a. but nothing more.Just that.
His second name “topal”-ov in otoman turkish language means tree.The “topal” tree was used from otomans before 700-200 years to make “slave punisher” with which they hit and “punish” the slaves and other people under their ocupation.So Topal-ov is so proud to “punish” the civilised people.He once explained partly his second name and was sooo proud of his second name and he say that “topal” in otoman-turkish means something like tall man because it is “tall” tree in that language.?????????????????????????
I will question to evryone why the chess players from Bul-garia and Hun-garia are allways overagresive?
Example:Pol-gar(Jud(a)-it);Topal-ov and Fischer(Nemenyi/Wender betwin Ulaanbaatar and Tel Aviv).Leko is from Subotica(Serbia)and maybe he is not so mongolish.Allso in other sports they are garbege.Bulgarians breaked the lags of “PELE” at one soccer world cup for 50$.
For me it is completly clear what is hapening and why.Can you civilise some wolf or hiena?No it is only posible man to be civilised and no any other animal what ever it look like.Even some birds can speak like humans but they are not humans!
Evryone is free to make decision what kind of evolution he likes to accept!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did Bellevue have an inmate escape today? If so, I think we have found him.
Mike D.
This match is now damaged goods. That is, unless Kramnik wins it outright.
If the match ends in a draw or win for Topalov, the issue over who has rightful claim to the crown will remain in dispute.
Topalov may have picked up a cheap ‘win’ in game 5, but ironically, he may have lost the most, as he has now denied himself any chance for an untarnished claim to the World Champion title.
Needless to say, he has also tarnished his otherwise stellar reputation within the chess world. This little maneuver by Topalov & Danilov was very short-sighted.
The FIDE administration is also a loser here, but why should they care? They’ve proven that incompetence at running professional chess doesn’t hurt them as long as they are competent at winning elections.
Dear Susan,
Thank-you for your work in providing timely updates and trying to maintain a civil air. I have been a fan of you (and your sisters) and your work to popluarize chess for many years now. As a Philadelphia resident, I look forward to your simul at City Hall leter this month.
However, Susan, I rather agree with andrewptrk concerning your reaction (and postings) to this matter. let me explain:
You are a natural ambassador for chess, and your good sense and grace intuitively push you towards seeking the middle ground. That is well and good–but even if there is a middle ground, it doesn’t mean that both opposing sides are equal.
It seems to me, Susan, that Topalov wants to have his cake and eat it too. He talks often about wanting to continue the match, that if it stops “it won’t be due to any hindrance on his part”. And then, he sends his manager to go out and throw mud on the royal game, with dirty insinuations. All the while Topalov says, “Hey, I just wanna play”. Then his manager says, “But our opponent is acting suspiciously”. Topa says, “I wanna play” *BUT* if you correct the match score from 3-2 to 3-1 I will walk.
In other words, Topalov is not being quite honest–he is playing the Janus (2-faced game).
Susan, allow me to further elaborate from the game of life. This is a much more serious affair than chess. Take a defing moment of our contemporary lives-9/11/2001. Al-Queda may have its own argument and justification–US wants to steal their oil, corrupt their morals, or whatever. That is one position. the US may have its own case–support for Israel, for the Saudi Royal family, or whatever. (No doubt your sister, Sofia is more knowledgeable inthes matters, being married to an Israeli doctor.) That is the US’s own argument. applying your principles Susan, we can seek to find an entente–or middle ground. Finding a middle ground is good, and constructive. But that does not mean that we can overlook some gross injustices. For example, no matter how you cut it–the 9/11 attack was wrong. It attacked innocents. Period. We can CONDEMN THE ATTACK while looking for A SOLUTION TO THE UNDERLYING ISSUES. That is only reasonable.
Similarly, Susan, I believe we can condemn Topalov’s morally dubious behavior (via his manager) while lloking to finda soltion to the diffrences between his team and Kramnik. You cannot only stae the differences Susan. You must also evaluate them, and confront them.
Conflict must be faced with intense curiosity, and reflection. We must re-engineer a new reality–taking both sides into account. We are not here to label people, but an honest audit can reveal “that mistakes were made”–as politicians like to say.
Susan, again thank you for your great work on this site. It reflects your positive personality and outlook. But sometimes we must step beyond neutrality–and face hard truths. Switzerland tried to neutral in the face of Nazi abuses in WWII. They would like to have the moment back and react differently. they have been making reparations since.
Finally, Susan, they say the Chinese word for crisis is the same as the word for opportunity. The heat and pressure of the furnace will burn away impurities and separate base metals from gold.
Kramnik has been tested in the fires of FIDE, and found true. As for Toplalov–at best he comes off as weak and malleable. If we give him the benefit of the doubt (and believe that he only wants the status quo), then he has been putty (or clay) in the hands of Danilov. He has (at best) become a pawn in the game of kings.
MAY YOU ALWAYS BE A QUEEN, SUSAN!
Your loyal fan,
Sam T
PS I join Skripchenko & Lautier, Rowson et al, Nunn, Short and countless others in their support of Kramnik in these trying times. We, who are not politicians or ambassadors, can call it as we see it.
I totally agree with the letter by Almira and Joel. I don’t think we have to remain neutral in this case. Even if both players have the right to protest, one of the players used this right in a wrongful and distasteful way in order to try to get out of his disastrous performance in the match.
Susan says that anyone can make mistakes. I agree, but the player causing all these problems has had time to think about his bad behaviour and admit he was wrong. Instead he is insisting in stealing one point from his rival.
I want my name added to the original letter sent by Joel and Almira.
I suggest that everyone study up on what a “logical fallacy” is, as well as an argumentum ad hominem (attacking the man and not the issue (or point) that he raises.
For instance, a typical argumentum ad hominem in basketball might be “How can you claim that the Republican part candidate’s support of capital punishment is bad, you’ve been an Independent for years?” See how this argument is flawed? It attacks the person’s political affiliation, not the points that the person raises concerning his or her objections to the Republican candidate’s platform.
For a brief education on these topics, consult:
(I wrote a good portion of the first link)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad-hominem
http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/attack.htm
http://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/person.html
Ooops, I said “For instance, a typical argumentum ad hominem in basketball…”
Let me correct this to read “For instance, a typical argumentum ad hominem in politics…”
I want my name added to the original letter sent by Joel and Almira.
Almira is the nicest chess player in the world, great person, and very kind.
Larrykaufman said…
I would also like to add that if the match ends in a tie (counting the forfeit), Kramnik should declare himself the winner and refuse to play the tie-breaks, or play ridiculous moves if needed to collect his prize.
Larry, you’re being ridiculous.
It is difficult to say something intelligent without being unfair to one or more of the involved parties.
Yet it’s plain that, unfortunately, Veselin Topalov has lost face and has spoiled his well deserved reputation for the time being. If he “wins” this match, people will think Kramnik is the moral victor anyway.
In my view, the title of “world champion” has been lost any significance as well. The current is just another interesting confrontation between two great players. Hope we can still watch some more good games.
Sincerely, Telmo
Add my name to it! I would love to!
And ya here is my name:
Syed Taimoor Ghazanfar
Karachi,Pakistan
{A former all out fan of Topalov}
Sam T
This is nothing like Al Qaeda, don’t dress it up as something that requires a ‘with us or against us’ moral choice.
Kramnik provoked too much, Topalov responded too much. Kramnik overreacted by forfeiting. Kramnik is at least as good as Topalov in playing self-serving mind games.
Most of the pro-Kramink public GM support is, surprise enough, ACP and other types of anti-FIDE people, not so objective after all.
I support Kramnik against this unfair and outrageous attack from a very small-minded player, making fool of himself!
ALLEZ KRAMNIK
DEfend your point
You can add my name to this letter:
Gildas Kerlau
62.rue Vellonne
52400 Bourbonne les Bains
France
I am happy to add my name to the list of people who agree with the sentiments carried in the Skripchenko /Lautier letter.
Phil Harris
Whitstable
Kent. UK
I’d like to say that the letter from GM Lautier makes sense.
Also GM Polgar did a an excellent job covering the event so far and also in her open letter.
Kramnik indeed deserves support given the unfair conditions.
Chessbase.com is listing lots of GMs agreeing with Lautier’s point of view, shared by millions of fans.
Topalov revealed a side we didn’t know .
Also during this championship,
GM Susan Polgar blog is becoming a reference, a very popular and instructive web-site with analysis,comments,up-to-date coverage.
This is by far a better place to read and write than
Mig’s blog. How funny it would be to see Mig sign the open letter/petition
by saying Mig ( rating 1824).
Mig’s rating is available on this link.
http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?12525629
Despite boasting a friendship with Kasparov, his effort on his blog is lagging behind Susan’s fine work.
Susan Polgar brings a GM understanding, a world champion experience, and U.S point of view of chess affaires.
Keep up the good work !