This Game for Sale?
Chess is dead, long live che$$! That is the hidden message this year. Yes, 2000 is not going to be the only thing with plenty of zeros. It seems that as long as there is plenty of cash up for grabs there is little honour, integrity, or restraint in this "gentlemen's sport". That is not to say that there are no gentlemen left in the sport, nor that everyone with lots of money is corrupt.
Here are some of the recent and not quite so recent rumours, allegations - and even facts - from the world of Chess.
Controversial Chess Master?
Sport's newest controversial mogul came under scrutiny from Radio 5 Live's investigative sports programme On The Line late last year. A man surrounded by allegations of corruption, vote rigging, and questions about connections to the murder of a journalist.
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is the self professed multi-millionaire who runs world
chess. He's also the autocratic and charismatic President of the southern
Russian state of Kalmykia. He claims to be friends with the Dalai Lama and
Saddam Hussein and has promised to give a mobile phone to every shepherd in his impoverished homeland. He's been accused of holding illegal elections,
channelling tax funds into his own pet projects and neglecting his people.
Two men connected to his administration are charged with murdering the one journalist who dared investigate him.
Ilyumzhinov is using chess as a vehicle to boost his profile across the globe and, as On The Line reports, so long as he pours in the money few people in chess seem keen to ask questions.
But as a campaign to make chess a sport in the UK nears success, and the
activity looks set to become eligible for lottery funding, how long can our
players and administrators be so unquestioning about the rumours
surrounding their mysterious benefactor?
It appears as though Ilyumzhinov has failed to fulfill his promises to his subjects constituents in Kalmykia. The poor shepherds are still not able to make calls from their fields, his homeland appears neglected and he has control - and therefore blame - in it all. What will he do for Chess?
Chess, Cash and Control
Only a couple of short months ago FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov sent out a memorandum to set in motion some pretty sweeping changes in the chess world. The memo is his plan on how to bring about the commercialisation of chess and regain control of the chess world. Ilyumzhinov is scheduled to report on these changes 12-13 May 2000 in London. He has suggested that FIDE Commerce PLC be entrusted to "exploit chess on a commercial basis." The fullness of this statement seems to stem from which definition of exploit you choose to use. The full memo can be found here.
It seems that having control of the FIDE World Championships is not enough for Ilyumzhinov and crew, they need to feel in control of everything. Indeed to breathe the words "Kasparov is World Champion" would be something no National Federation, nor FIDE affiliate could do. In fact, it is "prohibited" for anyone, FIDE affiliate or otherwise, to set up any event know as the "World Chess Championship". But if you can bring in money and squash freedom at the same time, why not!
Ilyumzhinov also proposes to control the calendar such that events may only be scheduled with FIDE permission. Along with dictating when an event may occur, who can play will no longer be left up to the organizers. If someone wishes to run a tournament they may only invite FIDE approved players. FIDE okays the players, FIDE sets the dates, and of course FIDE insists upon having the "commercial rights to exploit" any tournaments.
What if the tournament goes ahead without FIDE's consent? No ratings from the match for those who dare participate, and all of the FIDE puppets must dance in step to "publicise their negative reaction to the concerned tournament or match and prevent their players from participating in the event."
FIDE Commerce PLC is to be given the commercial rights to all major tournaments. This will help them become a profitable subset of the FIDE organisation. Of course once they start reeling in the big bucks, Ilyumzhinov hopes the company will go public and be a money-making venture. Not a bad thing if you happen to be Artiom Tarasov - head of the company - or one of the other people close to President Ilyumzhinov. How many shares will Ilyumzhinov have?
As with his other presidency, generosity is not to be looked down upon.
Of course the money this company raises will go to support chess around the world, right? A full 70% of it under the president's plan would go back into FIDE coffers. Where will the other 30% fall? Back in the laps of FIDE Commerce PLC, and the share holders no doubt.
So what does the memo say? We may in the near future be faced with a group that will control the publicity and advertisement of chess around the world. They will cash in on every tournament. FIDE will be given a dictatorship over the tournaments and players, and together with their comrades they will walk arm in arm to the bank.
A fair price for entrepreneurs generating business? Or do you hear the president saying:
Let me run the tournaments and championships like a small Russian state, and I will make sure that 70% of the profits are put back into FIDE. Your cellular phone is in the mail.
More Chess reasons to blush
In loosely related news, you will find that thanks to the value of the prize money being raised by 70,000 Dutch guilders (just under 30,000 USD), not too many people are complaining about the seeding of Fritz into the Dutch championship. Sure it might seem odd that people are being asked to play against a computer for the national title, but guilders grease the wheels of progress, and calm the storm of protest. It will be interesting to see if FIDE would allow Fritz onto the list of approved players?
For the full story check here.
One last sign of the times is a brawl between two Australians. Now some may not be surprised to learn that two men might come to blows in Australia, but these ones were participating in a chess tournament at the time. Surely we are seeing embarrassing times for chess in general.
Details can be found elsewhere in the Mindzine.
Is this appraisal of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov fair? Is he dodgy or is he a
legitimate businessman, unfairly accused, who just loves chess? Is FIDE being conned? Is chess going downhill? Opinions and notes, pro and con, please!
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