Russian roulette

Khanty-Mansiysk in the middle of Russian Siberia experiences wide swings in temperature during the course of a year. Historically, summer temperature is highest at 18 degrees Celsius while the lowest temperature in winter is around minus 21 degrees. 

September may be the last best opportunity to visit the Russian town while the average temperature hovers around eight degrees Celsius without dropping below zero. However, it’s still cold enough to threaten visitors from the tropics with some big shivers.

This September, however, should see the temperature rise a notch higher in Khanty-Mansiysk because not only will the next Chess Olympiad be held there, but the World Chess Federation (Fide) is set to hold its elections.

Yes, it’s election time In Fide. They are normally held every four years and in the months leading to the elections, candidates would start posturing themselves to the worldwide Fide family. Many times, however, the elections would fizzle out tamely. Why? Because by the election day, either the candidates have opted for a compromise solution or they would have withdrawn from contesting.

This year’s Fide elections may yet turn out tamely but then, there is also a fair chance that it will not. It’s particularly interesting this year because the former world champion, Anatoly Karpov, is making a big play for the Fide president’s position.

He has made his position quite clear by challenging the incumbent president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. And two developments have made this challenge very interesting. 

The first is that Karpov and Garry Kasparov have put their previous differences aside to work together. I know, there are gasps all around. It’s quite unbelievable, isn’t it? The two of them are now working together with Kasparov actively supporting Karpov’s candidacy for Fide president.

They have been the most bitter of bitter enemies in the 1980s when they were at the pinnacle of their chess careers. Their world chess championship matches were stuff that could inspire comparisons with the Cold War except that the two of them were from the same country, the former Soviet Union.

The second development is that the Russian Chess Federation has been put into a quandary. Who should they support? Karpov Is obviously Russian but so is Ilyumzhinov, and Fide regulations say that a federation can only support one candidate. 

Karpov is their former world champion so he merits their support. But Ilyumzhinov is the incumbent Fide president and also a political figure in Russia, he being the president of the autonomous state of Kalmyk in Russia. He would also be demanding support from the Russian Chess Federation.

About two or three weeks ago, the situation in Russia reached crisis point. One faction within their federation nominated Karpov for Fide presidency while a second faction insisted that that nomination was illegal. Of course, the second faction’s choice was Ilyumzhinov.

To make matters more complicated, soon afterwards, the second faction descended on the office of the Russian Chess Federation, sealed it off and sacked the federation’s sitting board chairman who supported Karpov’s candidacy. The situation is so fluid now that it is impossible to gauge who is in control over there.

In the meantime, it has also emerged that Ilyumzhinov is striking back at Karpov, claiming that the former world champion had libeled him. 

The battle lines are clearly drawn and there does not seem to be any resolution or compromise until the Fide elections in Khanty-Mansiysk this September. That’s why I say that the heat is being turned up in the Russian town despite the dropping temperature. 

It’s still early days where most of the national chess federations are concerned, the Malaysian Chess Federation included. For sure, these three months are very critical months and they will pass by very quickly. The two presidential candidates or their teams have already started campaigning and crisscrossing the globe to convince the national chess federations for their support. 

Up next  

Gula Perlis open

The Kilang Gula Felda Perlis will organize the Gula Perlis open chess challenge at the Dewan Warisan in Kangsar, Perlis tomorrow. The organizers said that the total prize moneys have been increased to RM5,650. Entry fees are RM20 for the open section, RM15 for under-18 players and RM15 for women players.

For more details, contact Syaifulzamani bin Ismail (013.3939838) or visit the tournament website at http://www.kgfp.com.my/kgfp

Chess camp

The seventh Kids for Chess Camp will be held at the Pandan Lake Club in Pandan Perdana, Kuala Lumpur on Jun 14-15. This chess camp should interest beginners, intermediate players and the aspiring tournament players. Those who know absolutely nothing about the game are also encouraged to join the camp.

The coaches and instructors will include resident Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman and our own international master Jimmy Liew. A flat fee of RM90 per player is applicable. For details, contact Collin Madhaven (03.91316474 or 016.2123578) or visit http://www.kids4chess.com

Perak grand prix

The Slim River leg of the Tan Sri Lee Loy Seng Perak grand prix chess tournament will be played at the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Slim River on Jun 27.

Entry fees are RM25 for the open section, RM15 for under-16 players and RM10 for under-12 players. Members of the Perak International Chess Association and players born in Perak pay RM5 less. Closing date for entries is this Jun 23. To register, contact Yunus (013.3908129), Hamisah (012.5008723) or Ustaz Ismail (019.5520391). More details are available from http://perakchess.blogspot.com

Telok Gong pro-am

The Persatuan Penduduk Telok Gong will hold their pro-am tournament at the Dewan Kampung Hamid Tuah in Telok Gong, Port Klang on July 4. For a one-day event, the total cash prizes on offer is more than RM5,000.

Entry fees are RM30 (for players in the Pro category, that is, with national ratings above 1701), RM25 (for payers in the Am category, rated below 1700) and RM20 (for Telok Gong residents and players below 12 years old). Entries close on Jun 26. To register, contact Zamri Sajari (016.2775005) or Azhar Mohd Said (012.6796193).

MBS chess

The Methodist Boys’ Secondary School in Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur will hold the fifth MBSSKL chess open tournament at the school premises on July 24. Entry fees are RM5 for MBS students and RM15 for non-MBS students. For enquiries, contact teachers Mr NK Chin or Mdm LY Yong at the school (03.20782293).