Position of the Bulgarian Chess Federation
The forthcoming tournament for world championship in Mexico starting on 11th
September 2007 represents the end of one cycle that extends over the period
after the tournament in San Luis (Argentina). As it is well known, Veselin Topalov
became World Champion there. Considering the great interest in the world he
accepted to play a match with Vladimir Kramnik in Elista even though he was
not obliged to do so. Moreover, Veselin Topalov agreed that the loser of that
match would not be allowed to play in Mexico because, according to FIDE regulations,
adopted on 10th January 2006, every former World Champion or a chess-player
with a coefficient over 2700 could, under certain conditions, challenge the
World Champion to a match.
On the basis of this position, the Bulgarian party asked for a new match for
the world title and provided the required amount of two million US dollars for
the purpose. The arguments FIDE submitted against playing a match for the world
title, for which all requirements were met, were not convincing. Arguments of
the kind that the bank guarantees were from a bank FIDE doesn’t recognize
and later on that the time was short for organizing and performing such a match
demonstrated that FIDE would compromise its own decisions lead by interests
that may differ from those of chess. In order to substantiate its position,
in the meantime FIDE approved a new system for electing the World Champion,
which goes contrary to the rules, because the regulations may not be modified
within one cycle. In this way, Veselin Topalov was definitely deprived of the
possibility to take part in the competitions for the world title.
A new system for organizing the world championships should be adopted only
after a thorough discussion with the participation of a maximum number of national
federations; this new system has to be voted on a FIDE congress and to come
into effect during the following cycle. Any other action and decision is a breach
of democracy, it is intended to favor certain interests and doesn’t contribute
to the development of the chess game.
The Bulgarian Chess Federation believes that with its last actions FIDE shows
a bias attitude toward Veselin Topalov – one of the strongest chess players
in the world. Depriving him of the possibility to participate in the competitions
for world championship substantiates this belief.
Since Veselin Topalov was not allowed to play with V. Kramnik in 2007, it
is most evident that he should be permitted to take part in the World Championship
tournament in Mexico. In this way an injustice will be remedied – at least
in part – and FIDE will prove that the world chess interests are its priority
and that the World Champion should be elected in a competition between the best
chess players in the world. Any argumentation for the non-admission of V. Topalov
is deprived of any logic. The second, the third and the forth players from St.
Louis will play there but the first one will not! The second in the world ranking
list, the chess player who won seven super-tournaments during the last two years
will not be allowed to play there! Why? Only because FIDE has changed its system
in the meantime?!
We suggest a FIDE resolution is passed for nine participants to play in the
tournament in Mexico. The organizers have no objections and they will be happy
because Veselin Topalov is very popular not only in Mexico but in the whole
of Latin America as well.
29 May 2007, Sofia
BULGARIAN CHESS FEDERATION
Stefan Sergiev, PhD.
President
