“The reunification tournament has ended in San Luis. The winner is Bulgarian Veselin Topalov. Now there are two world champions. He is the FIDE world champion, I am the 14th classical world champion.”
I was impressed with the quality of play in San Luis. Players battled and squeezed everything possible. However it looked as though Topalov was the only player truly charged for victory. Others came to play in San Luis – Topalov came to win it. This effectively determined the outcome of the double round-robin tournament.
Generally speaking, I believe that the World Champion should be determined exclusively in a match. As for a candidates’ qualification scheme it is quite acceptable to have it organized as in San Luis. For example, half of the participants according to their ratings, the other half through a qualification cycle. This would be in the interests of both the sponsors and the viewing public. The knockout system proposed, actively agitated for, and imposed by FIDE has long since compromised itself.
Is the long awaited reunification of the chess world finally going to happen? My position is absolutely clear on this: in accordance with the Prague Agreement of 2002 I am prepared to play in a reunification match. I am looking forward to some clarification from Topalov and I hope everything becomes clear in the coming weeks.
I’ve read comments in the press that Veselin does not believe I am a worthy contender for the title, giving my relatively low rating as the basis for his argument. I believe this is just his emotions speaking. World championship and tournament performance are two entirely separate entities. In chess history the World Champion has not always scored brilliantly in tournaments. One could even go as far as to say that this is rather more an exception than a rule. Petrosian, Spassky, and Botvinnik never won too many tournaments, but nobody ever had any doubts as to the legitimacy of their titles.
I’d like to stress once more: I firmly believe that I am the real World Chess Champion. I won this title in a contest against the thirteenth World Champion Garry Kasparov and later defended my title in a match against Peter Leko. My title is legitimate and this was acknowledged even by FIDE in the Prague Accords. Should anyone, like Topalov, believe that he is stronger, let him beat me in a match.
Yes, Kramnik is real champion and I am mother Teresa.
Chess is a game and the main idea of a game is to win.
Kramnik is a lazy player, he doesnt want to work hard to keep the number one, he prefers easy life, thats all!
Topalov is the champion, everyones knows that including Kramnik¨s family
Kramnik comes off as a spoiled baby. He is lucky if Topalov does him the honor of playing him. Topalov had his chance: even though graciously extended an invitation by FIDE, he refused to play in Argentina. He forfeited any right to call himself a champion that day.
Kramnik just is unlucky to become champion after 2 very dominating Champs like Kasparov and Karpov. They spoiled the chess public with stellar performances. the chess world was not always like that and it did not cheapen the title for the winner. The Cheap FIDE title includes Khalifman, Pnomariov, Ksimjanov now compare that with Kasparov and Kramnik. Which is the real title the answer is obvious.
I this Chess or boxing??
So does Kramnik get to write a book about Kasparov now and Tapolov get to write a book about Kramnik?
Well, I don’t believe that a player performing poorly necessarily strips them of titles. Many champions have gone on dry spells. Kramnik’s problem is sad, however. It feels as if chess unified without him. Yes, he beat Kasparov in a match, he has shown he can compete at the top level, but he feels more like a one term champion. Like the Jimmy Carter of chess. He didn’t show the heart of a champion like a Topalov or a Polgar. And frankly, he bores me
I have one question.
Are these words by Kramnik true?
“…in accordance with the Prague Agreement of 2002 I am prepared to play in a reunification match….. … My title is legitimate and this was acknowledged even by FIDE in the Prague Accords……….”
ty
It’s his fantasy. There are 2 parts to the agreement. If one is void, the other is automatically void. He just decided to unvoid his half for his own benefits.
Maca
Karpov, Kasparov, Ponomariov, Kasimjanov, Topalov… I don’t know russian, but what does the “ov” stand for in a russian last name?
They are not Russians.
Karpov (Russian)
Kasparov (Azerbajan)
Ponomariov (Ukrainian)
Kasimjanov (Uzbekitan)
Topalov (Bugarian)
Mary
to oversimplify:
ov = son of
ova = daughter of
Karpov = son of Karp
Navratilova= daughter of Navratil
Michael, you’re a genius.
Mary
All this controversy make me reflect on the worth of Spassky behaviour in 1972! He had the chance to win the tournament “legally” but he accepted the fischer´s demands after starting the match and he lost the tittle as a real champion.
Thanks Spassky!!!
The real issue is Kasparov. In the 2000 match vs. Kramnik, Kasparov did not have the title to give to Kramnik. Certainly, Kasparov was the strongest player and the champion, but the title goes with FIDE. Kasparov tried to create another entity which failed, so Kramnik’s title has no legitimacy. Kramnik cannot claim to be the 14th World Champion because he followed Kasparov. Kasparov broke the link when he broke from FIDE.
I agree with Daaim. His logic is very good.
Mary
Here’s a thought… there is a logical fallacy to Kramnik’s claim.
Go back to 1975, Fischer refused to follow FIDE and was never beaten in a match. Karpov became FIDE champion.
OK, now Karpov was WC,then Kasparov.
Kasparov refused to follow FIDE and Karpov became WC.
Now in 2000 Kramnik beats Kasparov.
Kramnik now claims to be the traditional and historic champion.
BUT, and here’s the problem. When Kasparov defected from FIDE, he did the same as Fischer.
Kramnik cannot claim to be WC through Kasparov b/c if we believe his claim, then the title would have never gone through Karpov b/c Fischer was not defeated in a match.
I am a lawyer, sorry.
I hope I am not being confusing but Kramnik claims through the defector in 1993 and against the defector in 1975. It seems logically fallable
Every dictator in the world claims that he has the support of his country but he is afraid of allowing an election or referendum!.
What a pitty, a talented player as Kramnik is becoming in an isolate champion in his mind!
Kramnik is in debt with shirov and when someone is in debt i think he lose the legitimacy. By contrast, topalov is not in debt with anyone. So, it seems topalov is the real champion nowdays
I’m telling you, once and for all Al, the 2000 Florida results are final, and Bush won.
Kramnik, don’t quit your day job.
What most have repeated regarding Kramnik is true. He has held a “split” world championship title for far too long, but I wonder if some of the blame for this falls with others. Certainly, FIDE did not have much interest in legitimizing the classical title when it was already having so much difficulty in finding sponsorship to back a title match of it’s own. Should it be up to the artist to organize and hustle sponsorship to interest someone in knocking him off of his throne? Granted, Vladimir COULD have agreed to play in San Luis, thereby “cutting his own throat”, so to speak, in acquiring a well-deserved title purse in a reunification match. Play the match! Otherwise, the current schism will remain! How important will that be? Probably not much in the long run, but it certainly will leave yet another reminder in chess history of the petty squabbling and ineptitude of the current FIDE administration that exists. Probably Topalov has more to lose here and little more to gain, other than the respect and gratitude of the millions of chess fans who long to rally behind the one world champion, and put this messy era to rest!
Best wishes,
Frank K