Roustam Kamsky: 'Gata’s life could be in danger'

Dear chess fans,

the latest FIDE announcement regarding re-awarding Bulgarian Chess Federation the opportunity to organize the Kamsky-Topalov match is another unprecedented decision by the FIDE President. In his latest response, Mr. Ilyumzhinov, one of the most successful businessman and politicians in Russia, is trying to suggest that he fell a victim of undue influence and was induced by Mr. Chernenko into making his personal guarantee of the prize fund in the amount of $750,000. Specifically I refer to the following language:

It is clear that Mr. Ilyumzhinov personally guaranteed the prize funds of $750,000 for the match to be organized in Lviv, Ukraine and thus undertook specific moral and legal obligations towards both players.

My position towards options available to FIDE is simple. FIDE President, Mr. Ilyumzhinov, can follow the venue and great organization of Anand-Kramnik match in Bonn, Germany.

World Championship candidate Gata Kamsky, USA

Unfortunately I do not have any faith in FIDE and Mr. Ilyumzhinov who in front of the whole world breached his word, which is not the first time. Also, I do not have much faith in Mr. Makropoulos, a personal friend of Mr. Danailov. Suddenly FIDE appointed without any negotiations Mr. William Kelleher of USA as the FIDE Supervisor of the Organizing Committee to be responsible for fairness concerning treatment of both players in respect of organizational issues, equal playing conditions and anti-cheating measures. However, for almost a year, Mr. Kelleher did not respond to any request for basic information made by Mr. Kamsky. Thus I doubt that he will be of any help to the American contender during the match. Accordingly, FIDE should make such important nominations after consultation with players. And should the match be organized correctly, like it was done in Bonn, Germany, the players will not require a FIDE Supervisor’s position as the proper organization should eliminate most conflict situations before they even arise.

The foremost important issue that FIDE omitted from its agenda for the technical meeting in Dresden on November 18th, 2008 is to have both players and their attorneys to discuss and negotiate the terms of the contract. During prior months FIDE remained silent to numerous requests for a contract for the Kamsky-Topalov match made by GM Kamsky’s attorney. Yet having no contract, FIDE mandated on November 6, 2008, that both players must confirm their participation by November 14, 2008. Before any confirmation can be given a player must know the time, the place and the prize fund for the match. FIDE is trying to use time pressure to force players into confirming to unknown terms that could later become critical. GM Kamsky is asking for the minimum – an honestly and fairly organized match in neutral location. If that does not occur both players instead of fighting against each other should unify to fight against FIDE in the court of law.

I would like to use this opportunity to congratulate Vishy Anand on his true victory. This is his third victory at the world championship. I think he could have achieved even more success if during his match against Kasparov he did not have as his trusted seconds grandmasters from the former Soviet Union.

I was very impressed by the organization of Anand’s match in Bonn, Germany, except that the match should have been played between Kamsky and Anand. It was unjust to allow Russian GM Kramnik to play three world championship matches, in 2006, 2007, 2008, without a proper selection, just so Russia can maintain the world championship title. World chess history does not know another chess player who had a privilege to compete for the title of a world champion three consecutive years. It is obvious that Mr. Ilyumzhinov has a soft spot for his countryman.

FIDE ruled to include GM Topalov into the current world championship cycle as an ‘intermittent’ contender against the winner of the 2007 World Cup, GM Kamsky, just to quite the woes of the Bulgarian Federation and Mr. Danailov, who threaten FIDE with the legal action after the ‘toilet war’. These are examples of an undue favoritism and not a true sportsmanship.

Most chess fans would recognize now that American GM Kamsky’s fight for neutral playing conditions is a necessity because neutrality was the foremost important rule for all world championship matches that FIDE must observe. Otherwise the match in Bulgaria will become a second rehearsal of his match against GM Karpov in Elista, Russia in 1996. See the Gata Kamsky International Chess & Sports Foundation, www.01chess.com, for more information about Kamsky-Karpov match.

It is clear that FIDE has a direct duty and responsibility to organize the world championship match Kamsky-Topalov. However FIDE’s latest response is to place its burden upon players, thus confronting the players even before their battle on a chess board. I anticipate that in these uncertain times Gata’s life could be in danger: no person – no problem.

Thank you
Roustam Kamsky

A few hours after the open letter by Roustam Kamsky the following was in our mailbox:

U. S. Chess Federation www.uschess.org Bill Goichberg, President	PO BOX 3967 CROSSVILLE, TN 38557-3967 Phone: (931) 787 - 1234 Fax: (931) 787 - 1200

Open letter to FIDE Office and FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

To: FIDE office

To: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of FIDE

November 7, 2008

The U.S. Chess Federation is astonished to hear the latest position of FIDE regarding the Kamsky vs. Topalov match.

On June 1, 2008, FIDE announced that this match would take place in Lvov, Ukraine, beginning November 28, with a prize fund of $750,000. Following is the FIDE press release of that date, as posted on the FIDE website:

President guarantees Topalov–Kamsky match

Now we are being told that the “guarantee” that FIDE announced can be withdrawn because the organizer of the Lvov match has failed to make the necessary payment to FIDE? But this guarantee had significance only under precisely these circumstances!

If the organizer had made this payment, then for the FIDE President to “back the event from his personal finances” would not be necessary. Since the organizer has failed to make the payment, “backing the event from his personal finances” is now needed – and FIDE’s position appears to be that it was happy to promise backing with words only, but that backing with actual money was not what FIDE had in mind. Incredible!

Retail products are often sold with guarantees. Imagine if your product does not work, and you return it for repair or refund, and the seller says “Sorry, we have decided that the guarantee we offered is only valid if the product is working perfectly.” That is exactly what FIDE is trying to do to the players in this match.

The chess world and the media will not be so easily fooled. It is apparent that FIDE made a public commitment, and now is seeking to back out for no valid reason. A "guarantee" is not subject to being revoked at the whim of the guarantor. Please reconsider this very unwise and inappropriate action.

Sincerely Yours,

Bill Goichberg
President, US Chess Federation

Immediately after the above letter we received the following missive from a USCF Board Member:

November 7, 2008

Bill,

Please kindly verify that this is only your personal opinion or the opinion of various individuals. As a board member of the US Chess Federation, I did not authorize this letter nor have I seen this open letter before it was published. You definitely do not have my permission to speak on my behalf. This is the first time I am seeing it.

This is a very serious matter as it will clearly affect the professional careers of two great players: Gata Kamsky and Veselin Topalov. I would like to see these two world-class players settle their differences on the chess board and not through war of words. I encourage all parties to engage in diplomatic and respectful negotiation sessions to come up with a sensible solution instead of adding more fuel to the fire with this type of open letters.

Our chess community has suffered enough already. If you would like to be personally involved in this negotiation, you are more than welcome to come to Dresden next week and speak to the FIDE officials. But let’s not go down this destructive path with no possible amicable ending.

Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
USCF Minority Board Member

To which Goichberg replied:

Susan,

I am speaking for the USCF, which means the majority of the Executive Board. I have not claimed that every member of the Executive Board agrees with my statement.

Bill Goichberg

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