Elsewhere on the Web : FIDE World Championship cancelled
Saturday December 18, 2004
FIDE World Championship cancelled. • We don't know whether to laugh or to cry. For what seems like the umpteenth time, FIDE announced that its title match between the FIDE World Champion (currently Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan) and world No.1 Garry Kasparov of Russia, will not take place. The match was to have been held 7-24 January 2005 in Dubai.
When the latest match announcement was made in mid-October (see Elsewhere on the Web 16 October 2004), we remarked, 'Before we get too excited about this latest piece of excellent news, we'll wait for confirmation from both Kasparov and Kasimdzhanov.' As much as we would like to have been proven wrong for our skepticism, it was not to be. On 7 December, FIDE issued a press release titled, 'FIDE terminates negotiations with candidate Dubai organiser of the Kasimdzhanov - Kasparov match', which explained, 'The organiser from Dubai did not supply FIDE with the required financial guarantees within the deadline set by the FIDE President.'
How can this happen? As the FIDE Handbook clearly states under Regulations for the World Championship, 'After the Presidential Board has decided who shall be selected to organize the [World Chess Championship], the Organizers shall deposit, not later than three months before the start of the World Championship, in escrow, net and free of all taxes, with the FIDE bankers the full sums of money covering the prize fund and all costs related to FIDE...'
Only a few days after this public demonstration of bureaucratic bumbling, FIDE was at it again. Match for world chess title may be held in Turkey. • 'The match for the men's world chess title between [Kasparov and Kasimdzhanov] may be held in the first half of 2005 in Turkey, President of FIDE chess federation Kirsan Ilyumzhinov told Interfax on Monday. "Initially the match was expected to be held in the United Arab Emirates at the beginning of January, but the organizers have failed to get everything ready by that time," he said. "Now a new contest has been announced for the match and Turkey has said it wants to host it. I am flying to Turkey to meet senior government officials and discuss the matter," Ilyumzhinov said.'
The emphasis on may be is ours. Maybe it will be; maybe it won't be. The smart money is now betting on won't be. If you have something to say about this, then Join the Discussion, FIDE World Chess Championship 2005. • Caissa, Kasparov, and Kasimdzhanov deserve better.