Statement of the German Chess Federation

Statement of the German Chess Federation
Answer to speculations about Germany’s Olympic team
Published by Chessdom

Recently there has been a public discussion about Germany’s Olympic team. The top players have refused to participate under the financial conditions offered. The Presidential Board of the German Chess Federation with its President Robert von Weizsäcker has clarified the facts and has rejected the non-objective arguments.

1. Supporting the top level sport is a main task of the German Chess Federation. More than 100,000 € are spent every year for the top players and talented youngsters. Administrative costs and salaries for the trainers have to be added. No other department has a similar budget at its disposal.

2. All projects of the top level sport are published on the website of the German Chess Federation. The budget includes, for instance, the costs of the Chess Olympiad, European team and individual championships, bilateral matches and supportive measures for young players.
3. The top players have publicly complained that they do not profit from this programme. This assertion is not true. Two of the top four German players (Naiditsch and Meier) have received grants of totally 57,479 € in the period 2005 to 2010.

4. Due to tax reasons the German Chess Federation cannot pay any honorarium for the members of the national team. Such payments have to be done by sponsors or – if necessary – by the “Deutscher Schachbund Wirtschaftsdienst GmbH”, a limited liability company.
5. The amount of the honorarium is always discussed by a commission. Representatives of the players are members of it. It has been agreed to offer the players of the men’s team for the participation in this year’s Olympiad an honorarium of totally 15,000 € which means approximately 3,000 € each (depending on the individual result).

6. The Presidential Board of the German Chess Federation rejects the reproaches of GM Arkadij Naiditsch and GM Georg Meier towards those being responsible for the top level sport (President, Director of top level sport, Tournament Director, National Coach and the Executive Director of the limited liability company). The Board is prepared to discuss issues but condemns the personal defamation and reserves for itself further consequences.