Earlier this year, FIDE signed a binding contract with the World Championship organizer in Mexico City for 2007. The Mexico City World Championship is supposed to start on September 12, 2007.
The Mexican Organizer completed all the legal requirements and they started to spend a considerable amount of money to put on the most spectacular World Championships ever. I have no doubt that they will.
The four qualified players already signed the contracts. Other players in the cycle are preparing for their matches to qualify for the last 4 spots in the 2007 World Championship in Mexico City. There is not much room to wiggle.
According to my understanding, Topalov was among the 4 already seeded players because he won San Luis last year. Now, the winner of the Topalov – Kramnik match gets that spot. Since Kramnik won, he earns that spot.
What will happen if Kramnik skips the World Championship in Mexico City in 2007? Do you expect Kramnik to play in Mexico City?
Sponsors are hard to come by. Big time professional chess supporters and sponsors like the organizer in Mexico City is even much harder to find. In my 33 years in chess, they are among the top 3 most professional organizations I have I ever dealt with.
Some fans suggested to make the Mexico City World Championship a Candidate’s Tournament. The Mexico City organizer did not sign a contract with FIDE for a Candidate’s Tournament. They signed a contract to host the 2007 World Championship. The other players in the cycle signed on to play for the World Championship.
Let’s think about the situation rationally and not make any hasty conclusion. What do you think should happen? What is your solution? What is your take?
Kramnik signed a contract for the Topalov match. The contract stated that the winner would defend in Mexico City in 2007. If Kramnik bails, so should his title. That would be the 2nd time Kramnik hijacks the WC title.
Yep, Kramnik signed a contract to play Mexico. If he doesn’t, he should be stripped of his title. No one is entitled to pick and choose after he signed the contract.
I have to agree with both my previous posters anon and vlad.
I don’t think kramnik will bail though.
Kramnik will bail. He knows that he has no chance to win a WC round robin event. He will cause problems for chess again. Kramnik doesn’t care about chess. He cares only about himself.
Make the Mexico City event the candidates’ qualifier but then give Mexico City the ensuing World Championship match as well.
More publicity for the city, the sponsors, and chess in general.
“Please quote Kirsan, Danailov.”
I meant: Please don’t quote Kirsan, Danailov.
Yeah, Kramnik did sign a contract to play in Mexico City.
Vlasd says: “Kramnik signed a contract to play in Mexico City if he defeats Topalov.”
Vlad, would you please post the original text of the contract that Kramnik signed?
Thanks a lot!
Good question Susan. Vladimir signed the contract with the Mexico provision. He should be stripped of his title if he doesn’t keep his words. Fischer was stripped. So should Vladimir.
Javier Sanchez Ochoa
Hey, guys.
Please post the original text of the contract that Kramnik signed.
Thanks a lot!
Kramnik is a great match player but he’s also a coward. He’ll lose all respect if he skips Mexico City. What will his buddy Svidler say? Will Svidler agree to play Mexico City as a candidate’s tournament? I think not.
Hi, people.
If you want me to believe you, please post the original text of the contract that Kramnik signed.
Thanks a lot!
http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3349
The World Championship Match Topalov-Kramnik
Summary: the World Championship Reunification Match between FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov and classical chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik will be held in Elista, Kalmykia, from September 21 to October 13. It will consist of 12 games, played under classical time controls (two hours for the first 40 moves, one hour for the next 20 moves, and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game, plus an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 61). If the match is tied there will be a four game rapid chess tiebreak (25 min + 10sec), after that two blitz games (5 min + 10 sec), then an armageddon game (6 min / 5 min, with white to win). The prize sum is US $500,000 USD per player, regardless of the outcome. The winner of the match is the unified and sole world champion and goes through to the next world championship tournament in October 2007 in Mexico City, while the loser has to wait for the next cycle.
The match
The 12 game match will take place from 21. September to 13. October in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia. The winner is the player who first scores 6.5 points. If the score is equal, four rapid games will be played, and if the score then is still equal, two blitz games will follow, and after that a sudden death blitz game. The guaranteed prize fund of one million US dollars will be equally divided between Kramnik and Topalov, no matter what the result. However, in a way the match is still a winner-takes-all match. After all, only the winner qualifies for the World Championship tournament next year. The loser is eliminated.
http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3324
It’s quite amusing. During the Kramnik-Topalov match, direct contract breach by FIDE should just be lightly ignored by Kramnik, according to Susan and her echo chamber of Kramnik haters.
But now, above everything else, Kramnik must fulfill some unspecified contract and participate in Mexico. (I doubt Kramnik signed about an OBLIGATION to play, I would think he rather signed about the RIGHT to play, but let’s see the actual contract.)
So which is it, do we follow the rules or not?
The obvious solution is to make Mexico a Tournament World Championship, and have the winner play the Classical World Champion. This could be a two year cycle, one event each year. 100+ years of WC match heritage is then secured.
Organizers are happy, chess lovers are happy, everybody is happy (except anti-Kramnik jihadis).
I am sure that the Mexico tournament is contractually a world championship event, and FIDE cannot turn it into a qualifying tournament at the drop of a hat.
If Kramnik bails, so should his title. That would be the 2nd time Kramnik hijacks the WC title.
When was the first time? As far as I know, the previous title-holder offered him a match, which he accepted and won? How is that his fault?
Kramnik will bail. He knows that he has no chance to win a WC round robin event.
Kramnik has won events in this format before. He clearly has a chance.
Kramnik doesn’t care about chess. He cares only about himself.
Among players who have a shot at winning the title, whom do you think “cares about” chess? What have they done to show it, that Kramnik has not done?
what if some rich idiot agrees to pay 10mln dollars to each participant in the tournament with 2 conditions:
A) tournament has to determine the next wolrd champion.
B) players should move pieces with their teeth, and there should no bishops and in their place there should be a knight and a camel.
Are we gonna agree with this?
Caring about chess is also having respect for wolrd chamionship title. Kramnik defended his title against Kasparov (in 16 game match. never loosing even once! just try to imagine someone else capable of doing that), against Leko(when he was at the top of his career), and against Topalov(when he was at the top of rating list).
He is the one continuing the historical traditions of chess, and not the corrupt FIDE or its illegal champs, who loose miserably. (I have deep respect for Anand only; he well deserves to challenge Kramnik).
Also: I think the way the question is posed is strongly suggesting what answer is expected.
Azer/ Baku.
There is no contract as mentioned (without any qoute/source).
The Mexico event was supposed to be the FIDE w-ch only. Topalov is not qualified for 2007 FIDE w-ch.
Kramnik is champion within FIDE and w-ch.
All other setup is already changing the rules during the cycle, thus in order to become unified w-ch 2007 or later- the winner of Mexico has to challenge Kramnik anyway.
So why not give Topolose/Danailov a chance to become challenger of Kramnik that way.
Again, Topalose is not supposed to be qualified for Mexico according to the official and known rules.
Additionally, the 1 Mio setup as requirement for matches was anyway a lex Topalov and is not valid for the unified w-ch anyway.
And: there had been a w-ch match mentioned, not a round robin tournament in any means.
So, if something has been misunderstood, please quote your sources explictly.
Regards, thx.
It might be possible to turn the Mexico tournament into a candidates tournament, if the organizers could be convinced. FIDE can’t just do this unilaterally themselves. However, the recent match has generated a lot of interest, so perhaps there is some possibility to convince the Mexico organizers to add a match final after the tournament.
There are any number of problems with this though. Kramnik signed that he’d play, though presumably FIDE could let him out of this contract if they wished. The bigger problem is all the other players have qualified for a WC tournament, not a candidates.
Having said all this, it might be possible to set up something like:
– Topalov replaces Kramnik in the tournament
– The tournament winner is the 2007 FIDE WC
– Kramnik has a standing offer of a match vs the tournament winner
Basically what we just went through 🙂
>>
If Kramnik bails, so should his title. That would be the 2nd time Kramnik hijacks the WC title.
>>
Kramnik? Don’t you mean Kasparov? Kramnik never hijacked it.
If you want to go by the letter of the contract, then Kramnik is contractually bound to defend in Mexico, and therefore cannot play any other matches in the meantime. Topalov gets left out in the cold. No match and no spot in Mexico for him.
If you’re happy with that, then we can stick with it. If you’re not, we might need a new deal.
>>
Fischer was stripped. So should Vladimir.
>>
Fischer was not stripped. He resigned his title in writing. This is the most pernicious myth in chess history. Even people who know better spout the revisionist history version that he was stripped.
>>
It’s quite amusing. During the Kramnik-Topalov match, direct contract breach by FIDE should just be lightly ignored by Kramnik, according to Susan and her echo chamber of Kramnik haters.
>>
I don’t think she said that. But it is a point. If FIDE did breach their contract, then Kramnik’s promise to play in Mexico is null and void. We won’t know that until the lawyers have done their thing.
In the meantime, though, assuming they didn’t breach, then Topalov’s challenge is doubly illegal. Kramnik has to defend the title in Mexico, which means he must still have it in Mexico.
Wow. The typical Kramnik hate-fest going on here, as usual. Kudos to those who actually read the press releases and think before they post.
Kramnik would certainly be a favorite in the Mexico 2007 Tournament if he played. Who else would? Topalov? eh…Moro? Adams? Anand? Who?
Alot of Topalovian sour-grapes here…
Kramnik would play Mexico, I believe. But don’t be surprised if he manages a title defense in the interim to the highest bidder. He never has avoided anyone, and fears no-one in chess, and is the finest Match Player in the history of the game, defeating BOTH players rated the highest in history.
Just ask Topalov…
“He will cause problems for chess again. Kramnik doesn’t care about chess. He cares only about himself.”
LOL, that’s hilarious. You support a guy who damaged the integrity of the game with unsubstantiated allegations, earned the condemnation of the ACP and the entire chess world. Not a single GM supported his behavior. He took a free point as his reward, and you think his opponent is a bad guy for something he hasn’t even done, you just think he might. The things people say on the net when they don’t have to back them up.
We can see what the Mexico organizers want. See if they’d rather have a championship tournament and no Topalov, or a candidates tournament with Topalov, and a championship match later.
If they insist on sticking to the championship tournament, then so sad, Topalov is completely out of the picture until after the tournament.
Well I think, it doesn’t matter even if now Topalov has lost the match. he is still World no. 1 player and no “world championship” can exist without a top ranked player. I guess it depends on Kramnik. I think he also should pariticipate to give a full-stop to the concept of different systems and different world champions. Lets have a common event like this where all the top players are invited and have a new beginning
No point screaming that the tournament can’t be changed before we see what the Mexico organizers even want. See if they’d rather have a championship tournament and no Topalov, or a candidates tournament with Topalov, and a championship match later.
If they insist on sticking to the championship tournament, then so sad, Topalov is completely out of the picture until after the tournament.
What has Topalov got to do with this?
It is not his call at all. Or maybe we want to have it both ways. Our guy Kramnik to be the WC, but please Topalov come and play some entertaining chess for us. Kramnik is running the show now, he must show what he is made of. I am looking forward to seeing some exciting games of him in Mexico.
>>
Well I think, it doesn’t matter even if now Topalov has lost the match. he is still World no. 1 player and no “world championship” can exist without a top ranked player. I guess it depends on Kramnik. I think he also should pariticipate to give a full-stop to the concept of different systems and different world champions. Lets have a common event like this where all the top players are invited and have a new beginning
>>
This makes no sense. If the top rated player is automatically the best; if he can’t be eliminated even by losing, then we don’t need any championship tournaments or matches at all. Just go by the ratings.
Kramnik will not bail if he has a separate bathroom and copy of the latest computer program!
If the contract states the Mexico City event is for teh World Championship, then that’s that, unless another agreement is reached. That seems unlikely to me, however, since the organizers have based their plans around hosting a World Championship, not a candidate’s event, and might well lose money if that change came about. FIDE should have had the foresight to make this a candidate’s event in the first place, but that would be asking competence of Kirsan.
The title of World Chess Champion needs credibility and respect.
The title of World Chess Champion should not be tossed into an eight-player tournament, where games between any two non-champions have any impact on the outcome.
The title of World Chess Champion should only be defended in a one-on-one match against the top Challenger.
If Mexico City 2007 is touted as a “World Championship Tournament,” then Kramnik should not play in it.
FIDE created this problem, and FIDE should fix it by declaring Mexico City 2007 to be the official Candidates Tournament.
What don’t you understand? FIDE signed a contract with Mexico City as a WC. They can’t change it to a candidate’s tournament. People like you are the reason why chess has little sponsorship. How do you expect people to continue to sponsor chess if you have no problem screwing good sponsors? Use your brain.
Let’s not forget the other 7 GMs who signed on to play in the World Championship in Mexico City next year including Svidler. You want to harm everyone for Kramnik? If he doesn’t want to play then FIDE will crown a new champion. Chess doesn’t need a champion who’s a coward and arrogant.
I’m tired of Kramnik’s game. He is a wuss.
If FIDE crowns a “champion” based on a tournament, then the title will once again be meaningless.
Then what do you do with Mexico City and their contract of $1.3 million?
Good question beatriz… Clearly, this is a difficult situation. Since FIDE blundered by planning a tournament (rather than a match) as a “World Championship,” FIDE should be willing to make significant concessions to Mexico City to correct FIDE’s mistake.
Mexico City could be offered monetary compensation, in addition to rights for upcoming prestigious events (World Cup, etc.). FIDE may need to take a financial loss on this to correct their mistake. Mexico City could benefit from this situation by becoming the site of a regular event (Linares-style) instead of just a single event.
But then what do you do about the other 7 players who signed to play in the Mexico City World Championship?
The FIDE World Chess Cup is being stage from November 26th to December 18th, 2005, in Khanty-Mansyisk, Russia. This event replaces what was known as the “FIDE Knockout World Championship”, as played in Groningen/Lucerne (1998), Las Vegas (1999), Delhi/Teheran (2000), Moscow (2002) and Libya (2004), producing the world champions Karpov, Khalifman, Anand, Ponomariov and Kasimdzhanov. Now the 128-player knockout serves as a qualifier for the Candidates stage of the world championship, but it will also produce a Knockout or World Cup Champion, who will be distinct from the FIDE or general world champion. The prize fund is US $1.5 million, with President Ilyumzhinov providing $300,000 for organisational costs.
05.01.2006 FIDE has just announced the 16 participants of the Candidates Matches for the World Chess Championship 2007. These are players who have qualified in different ways, and they will play two rounds of matches against each other. The four finalists will then join Topalov, Anand, Svidler and Morozevich for the 2007 championship. Details.
Here is a list of the 16 qualifiers for the Candidates Matches, together with their exact ratings as calculated for the January 2006 list.
01 Levon Aronian
02 Peter Leko
03 Ruslan Ponomariov
04 Boris Gelfand
05 Etienne Bacrot
06 Alexander Grischuk
07 Judith Polgar
08 Alexei Shirov
09 Michael Adams
10 Evgeny Bareev
11 Vladimir Malakhov
12 Gata Kamsky
13 Rustam Kasimjanov
14 Sergei Rublevsky
15 Mikhail Gurevich
16 Magnus Carlsen
Note that Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik would have been eligible but, we assume, informed FIDE that they would not participate – Kasparov has retired from competitive chess, Kramnik has his classical chess world championship title and expects to play a reunification match against the winner of the FIDE event at some stage. For these two players Shirov and Bacrot jumped in.
1/9/2006
Official Regulations for World Championship Match
FIDE is announcing the official regulations of a possible World Championship match between the World Champion V. Topalov and a challenger who is either an ex-World champion or has a minimum FIDE rating of 2700. If this World Championship match is organised, it shall take place in 2006/07 (at least 6 months before the start of the World Championship Tournament 2007) and it represents an integral part of the World Chess Championship regulations for the cycle 2005-2007.
24.01.2006
According to FIDE’s recently announced regulations for world championship challenge matches, it would be a 12-game match with the title on the line. If Kramnik wins he’s the champ and Topalov would take Kramnik’s spot in the qualification cycle. Since Kramnik is not in the current cycle, having been replaced by Shirov as a rating qualifier, it’s not clear what would happen to Topalov this cycle should he lose.
Sofia, May 15, 2006
– The manager of the Chess World Champion Veselin Topalov, Silvio Danailov, and the Minister of Sport of Azerbaijan Azad Rahimov, agreed yesterday on a game for the world title to be held between Topalov and the Azerbaijanian Teimour Radjabov (Elo 2720). All conditions of the World Champion have been accepted and the two sides have signed a memorandum.
The match will probably take place in April 2007 in Baku. The award fund will be $1.5 million, of which $1 million will be for Topalov. According to the rules of FIDE every chess player with an Elo rating over 2700 can challenge the World Champion in a game for the title. Radjabov, currently number 13 in the FIDE ranking, will be the next challenger if Topalov defends his title in the game against Kramnik in September this year in the capital of Kalmykia, Elista.
17.09.2006
In less than a week, on Saturday, September 23 at 3:00 p.m. local time, the first game of the reunification match between FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov and classical chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik will begin in the Republic of Kalmykia. The event lasts until October 12. We bring you first pictures of the players’ arrival in Elista.
In May 2002 there was a historic meeting in the city of Prague, where an agreement for the reunification of the world chess championship title was agreed. Now, over four years later, we are about to see it translated into reality. Classical chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik, who won his title in 2000 from Garry Kasparov, and defended it successfully against Peter Leko in Brissago, Switzerland, almost exactly two years ago, faces the reigning FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov, who won his title in a tournament in San Luis, Argentina, in September/October 2005.
Summary: the World Championship Reunification Match between FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov and classical chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik will be held in Elista, Kalmykia, from September 21 to October 13. It will consist of 12 games, played under classical time controls (two hours for the first 40 moves, one hour for the next 20 moves, and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game, plus an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 61). If the match is tied there will be a four game rapid chess tiebreak (25 min + 10sec), after that two blitz games (5 min + 10 sec), then an armageddon game (6 min / 5 min, with white to win). The prize sum is US $500,000 USD per player, regardless of the outcome. The winner of the match is the unified and sole world champion and goes through to the next world championship tournament in October 2007 in Mexico City, while the loser has to wait for the next cycle.
==>
so please keep in touch with historical facts.
Another good question Beatriz…, compounding FIDE’s difficult situation.
I cannot speak for those seven people, but maybe it would be preferable to compete to become Challenger to the legitimate unified World Champion (with all its tradition and meaning) than to compete to compete to become “FIDE World Champion.”
FIDE has some serious negotiating to do.
Miguel (foolishly) wrote:
>What don’t you understand?
Um, I don’t understand who you’re talking to, since several people have suggested this, but you talk about “you”, singular.
>FIDE signed a contract with Mexico City as a WC. They can’t change it to a candidate’s tournament.>
Fine. Then according to you, Ivanchuk is World Champion now, because Khanty-Mansiysk was originally set up as a World Championship tournament, and, like you say, they CAN’T change it.
I am going to remember this and keep reminding you. Miguel thinks Ivanchuk is World Champion.
>>
Let’s not forget the other 7 GMs who signed on to play in the World Championship in Mexico City next year including Svidler.
>>
LOL. You have GOT to be kidding me, Pyle! FIDE has changed the rules, and cancelled or changed events so many times in the past few years, that what you’re suggesting is laughable. They can’t make a change because it would affect the players??
Do you remember these?
http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2845
These Candidates Matches, that were supposed to produce 4 winnders that would be added to Mexico City? Recently cancelled, without explanation. Gelfand was quite upset about it, after spending time and money, only to have them cancelled a month before they were supposed to start.
>>You want to harm everyone for Kramnik?
>>
You want to destroy a title that’s existed since 1886 just because you don’t like the current holder? Talk about selfish.
They screwed over all 128 players from Khanty-Mansiysk, who thought they were going to be in a World Championship tournament, they screwed all 16 candidates by cancelling the matches a month early, and now you can actually say with a straight face that they can’t alter the Mexico tournament because it might affect the players, some of whom aren’t even selected yet.
>>If he doesn’t want to play then FIDE will crown a new champion. Chess doesn’t need a champion who’s a coward and arrogant.
>>
LOL. If playing a handicap match against a 2800 player doesn’t strike you as brave, then nothing would. You’re simply being irrational on that point, which is your right. But real chess fans, who actually care about the game shouldn’t be asked to give up a century old match title just to further your own petty grudges.
Of course if the Mexico City organizers absolutely insist on hosting a Topalov-free Championship tournament instead of something better, like a Candidates now and a match later, and if they have more money than the Khanty-Mansyisk organizers to sue, then perhaps the championship tournament will go on as scheduled, without Topalov.
But don’t insult our intelligence by pretending that FIDE changing plans on players and organizers would be anything new.
So you want to destroy the 7 other players and the Mexican organizer who spent millions for the WC in 2007 to protect Kramnik?
How did Botvinnik become WC the firt time? You’re full of it.
Let’s all bend over backward to please yellow Kramnik!
Writing something on paper and calling it a contract, does not grant automatic truth to whatever was written.
By Definition, no “tournament” can transfer the “Match” World Chess Champion title (not while the champion is still alive). Tournaments and matches are very different events.
Steinitz and Zukertort created the Match WCC title. It was not created by Kirsan nor even by FIDE.
FIDE can create a new kind of Tournament WCC title, as can the Seattle Chess Club if it wants. But the Steinitz WCC title, and its historic lineage, remains unaffected.
FIDE is just playing word games trying to confuse the chess public, and unfortunately their confusion strategy appears to be working. I did not sign any FIDE contract, nor did you dear Reader. We each will make our own reasoned judgment about who if anybody currently holds the Steinitz Match WCC title.
Mexico 2007 will give that tournament winner a new Tournament WCC title. FIDE can start an empty new list of Tournament WCC title holders.
Once the Mexico 2007 tournament begins, Kramnik must give up that title (legally obligated). At that moment the Steinitz WCC title goes into suspended animation and storage. Then nobody will hold the Steinitz WCC title until the light of common sense again shines.
I hope Kramnik politely opts to not play in Mexico 2007, even tho he must surrender his title. But that is too much to ask of someone in his position.
Kramnik cannot legally dispute the title after the Mexico tourney ends. I hope Kramnik trusts the chess public to blog in large numbers that the Mexico 2007 winner is not the new Match WCC title holder.
The Mexico 2007 winner would be very smart to then offer a challenge match to Kramnik!
Gene Milener
http://CastleLong.com/
It’s unbelievable to see 51 posts on something which is hypothetical at best. I think Susan is coming up with ideas to make Topalov fans (of which she definitely is one of) feel better by fantasizing about all kinds of different scenarios. Wake up.
The fact of life is Topalov will NOT play at Mexico City. He has lost so many things by his terrible behaviour : FIDE world champion title (of which we have a new one every year Khalifman, Ponomariov, Kasimdzhanov etc), respect of chess fans and GMs and his face.
Topalov will not be a world title contender for at least two years. Learn to live with it.
Interview of Kramnik 21 April 2006 by ACP [ http://www.chess-players.org/eng/news/viewarticle.html?id=523 ]
Interviewer: ‘Having signed a contract for playing a match against Topalov, in case of victory you’ll have to replace him in this championship. Did you agree with this?’
Kramnik: ‘I would certainly preserve the world championship matches if it depended on me. However FIDE has different views and different plans. Well, I can play in the tournament…’
Interviewer: ‘Vladimir, I don’t speak about your principles and preferences, a law aspect of this case matters – having signed the contract you will have to play in the “Tournament of the eight” in case you defeat Topalov in the match.’
Kramnik: ‘For the moment it’s more important to settle all these title confusion, which started in 1993 and was not stopped in 2002. It is of such great importance that I made concessions for this. It’s okay! Do you want me to participate in the tournament? I will do this for the world to have a unified world champion!’
And now we have Kramnik talking as he is now!
Still, we should not be surprised. Kramnik signed the Prague agreement in 2002. Two years later, he said he ‘was not obliged to play the winner of Kasparov-Kasimdzhanov’.
>Kasparov-Kasimdzhanov’.
please tell us the result and details of that match.
thx
before posting another useless comment maybe a timely look at the following link might help.
“enough is enough” (Kramnik, Elista 2006)
http://chess.about.com/b/a/171233.htm
to anonymous 5:36:23 am,
Well, it’s pretty simple, really. It wasn’t played.
The fundamental reason that it wasn’t played was that Kasparov, seeing this comment, and having experienced Kramnik’s past evasions and double-speak then knew that even if he won this proposed match, Kramnik would still not play him for the title. He therefore fundamentally decided not to waste any more time and energy.
Whatever reasons that Kasparov didn’t play this match that appeared on the surface, one can be sure that Kasparov would have played if Kramnik had not made this comment.
to chess44:
missing the point – again!!
see above post from professor
p.s.:
even Kasparov isn’t rolling in money that he ignores great deals of money (e.g. Kasim match).
And here comes your personal problem: you know and ignore that, but:
MIXING UP HISTORICAL FACTS AND PREVARICATION DOESN’T WORK HERE
pps – for chess44 only:
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The Mexico event will be a great tournament but it is not a match play.
Kramnik may decide that the title should be won or lost only in a match.
It would be well to call the winner of Mexico the “World Tournament Champion” and for FIDE to recognise and support a separate “World Matchplay Champion” which has the historical legacy (Kramnik is 14th). The 15th Cahmpion will be the man/woman to defeat Kramnik i a mcth.
The Matchplay champion should be obligated to defend his title against the Tournament Champion and of course could take on additional matches if they wished.
The Matchplay champion would be free to enter the tournament Championship but would probably not do so.
to anonymous 9:31:29AM
I think it is you who is getting off the point.
What relevance is it to the issue if Kasparov played the match or not?
Kramnik made the statement when he thought the match was still going to be played. Therefore Kramnik broke the Prague agreement.
So, um, what point am I missing?
Kramnik was asked by Yury Vasiliev (famous Russian journalist who absolutely loves Ilumzhinov) about Mexico, and he said that if it’s in the contract, he’ll play, if not – he’ll think. He said that he let his manager work on the contract and did not pay attention to all its details, so he’ll make his decision when he checks what his obligations are.
Danailov’s words about stripping Kramnik of the title is precisely the kind of language that will make Kramnik avoid rematch. Who wants to take a bath in all this dirt again?