There will be a very important FIDE election this May in Turin, Italy during the Chess Olympiad. Even though there are currently three and a half teams of candidates, I believe that it would come down to the incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the formidable challenging team of Bessel Kok and Ali Nihat Alizi.
What are some of your biggest concerns about the current state of chess and what would you like FIDE to fix / improve on? Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Below are some issues that many fans have brought up:
– World Chess Championship Cycle (Men and Women)
– World Chess Championship Format
– Chess Corporate Sponsorship and Endorsement
– Chess Promotion
– Chess Drug Testing Policy
– Inflation of FIDE Chess Titles
What other areas should FIDE improve on?
I think that some organization should control tournaments that are meant to promote sponsorship. The chess world cannot stand another embarassment such as the HB challenge. Maurice Ashley admitted after they were dissolved that he knew they were doing a bad thing and it would turn out poorly. I know many people will have angry replies, but think about this: will corporations ever sponsor chess again after they see the 0-1 track record past sponsorship has had? The answer is NO.
I think that some organization should control tournaments that are meant to promote sponsorship. The chess world cannot stand another embarassment such as the HB challenge. Maurice Ashley admitted after they were dissolved that he knew they were doing a bad thing and it would turn out poorly. I know many people will have angry replies, but think about this: will corporations ever sponsor chess again after they see the 0-1 track record past sponsorship has had? The answer is NO.
The World Chess Championship Format is my biggest concern.
I can’t really recognize someone as World Champ unless they win a traditional one on one match of at least a dozen games.
Every World Champ in all the history books has done so.
Why is the Women’s World Championship different than the Men’s World Championship?
How to eliminate chess political corruption?
No more silly tournaments like the HB that undermine investor confidence in chess and then afterwards have typical grandmaster “blame everyone else” attitude when you end up looking like a loser.
To bring back a more traditional type of format for the World Chess Championship. Fide over the last decade or so has done nothing but dummy-down that once illustrious title. Kramnik aside, in time who will be able to name from memory, and who will care too, the 14th thru ……. world chess champion’s with this current “system?”
I think the No. 1 focus should be on the promotion/popularisation of chess among the masses. Otherwise corporates won’t be interested in investing money, without which people won’t be motivated to take up chess as a career. So its like a chain reaction.
As for the World Championship, I prefer the old format which gave us Botvinnik to Kasparov. I don’t know I FIDE changed it in the first place.
More tournaments, for players of all levels, should be there. FIDE has to come up with a concrete action plan as to how to generate money for that. As I said, that has to be linked with the chess popularisation programme.
In summary, it has to be a organised effort with concrete plans, not a ‘one man show’ as some people are trying to run.
promotion of chess should be prioritized. If chess is just as famous as soccer or tennis, there would be no problem in sponsoring tournaments. Tournaments need funding(local or international). If there are more open tournaments chess players would be more motivated in refining their skills. Unknown talented chess players would like also to have their so called “break” in chess. More tournaments make chess a highly competetive sport. With regards to the world championship. The championship should adopt the format at the world cup. Ranging from a classical format to blitz playoffs.The blitz playoffs was a good remedy for drawish games.