His Excellency
FIDE President Kirsan N. Ilyumzhinov
March 29, 2007
Dear Mr. President,
We are writing an open letter to you regarding our previous complaint about the large scale falsifications of some International Arbiter applications that were submitted to FIDE by the Moroccan Chess Federation in the last few years. This scandal has affected Morocco’s image both at the Arab and international levels.
One year ago, we informed the ACP about these fraudulent misconducts. In this complaint, which has been immediately forwarded to FIDE, we have pinpointed serious irregularities and provided strong evidence of deliberate falsification. In the meantime, evidence for these falsifications has been published in our website www.maroc-echecs.com (http://maroc-echecs.com/spip.php?article777). The FIDE Ethics Commission has recognized that the accusation is serious and since then open investigations have been conducted. Some of us were even heard by the Ethic Commission during the Turin Olympiad.
These falsifications are unfortunately only an example of the many irregularities committed by the Moroccan federation, which includes a regrettably wicked and chaotic management and a flagrant abuse of power resulting in arbitrary and excessive sanctions against some players, club managers and presidents of regional leagues. Through various channels, including Moroccan mass media, the whole Moroccan chess community has been continuously expressing its deep indignation and disagreement with the current management of the Moroccan Chess Federation, which is driving Moroccan chess straight towards the cliffedge. A wave of discontent currently pervades the Moroccan chess community and the future of chess in Morocco is in dire straits.
In September 2006, Moroccan top players have decided to boycott all the activities of the Moroccan Chess Federation until a new federal board is elected (see declaration at: http://www.maroc-echecs.com/spip.php?article775). Five (out of eight) presidents of Regional Leagues have also condemned these misconducts (declaration: http://maroc-echecs.com/spip.php?article792).
An urgent decision of the Ethics Commission FIDE concerning the fake IA title applications would certainly help the whole Moroccan chess community to step over the current chaotic situation and look forward to a better future for Moroccan chess.
Sincerely yours,
Hicham Hamdouchi GMI 2602
Mohamed Tissir IM 2482
Najib Draoui FM 2410
Abdelaziz Onkoud IM 2406
Jacque Elbilia FM 2356
Karim Ismail 2324
Ali Sebbar 2290
Tarik Rrhioua FM 2289
Chafik Idrissi 2204
Abdelhafid Elamri FM 2096 & IA
Mourad Metioui 2074
Youssef Boukdeir IA
Zouheir Slami IA
Why do they refer to Kirsan as “His Excellency”?
“Excellency” is the conventional form of address for the President or Governor of a state. Besides being FIDE President, Ilyumzhinov is the President of the Republic of Kalmykia, one of the constitutent republics of the Russian Federation. It is comparable to being a Governor of a state in the United States. US Governors are also addressed in this way.
Thanks for clearing that up… it sounded a bit archaic to me, but from what I have heard about Ilyumzhinov it is fitting…
Wow, it is hard to believe there could be another organization as screwed up as the USCF, but the Moroccan Chess Federation just might qualify!
In fact, this type of stuff is not that surprising and is actually rather too frequent an occurance in chess circles ie personal vendattas, conflicts of interest, running things to suit a certain group of people.
Ya largate de la FIDE, ya me tienes harto, Kirsan.
Thanks to all but best thanks are for GGRAYGGRAY. Ray ! you’re a subtil!
i’m really intersted to know who are these men below the letter.It appears that in this country there is much more chessplayers than 13. An open letter could be a bad joke.I can’t react to this open joke until i see the opinion of an official representative of moroccan chess.
Sorry Anonymous but nobody asked you to react! (See http://www.maroc-echecs.com/article1582.html). FIDE Ethics Commission did react and former President of Moroccan Chess Federation has been suspended and dismissed by the Moroccan Ministry of Sports. By the way, the people who signed the open letter are just one of the best Moroccan players. Check it on Fide.com.
Thanks Susan for your support.
Mourad,
Editor-in-chief of Maroc Echecs
http://www.maroc-echecs.com