Index   FIDE 1948-1990   Pre-FIDE   Highlights   Best games   News/Feedback   Gifts   Site map

Home page

Search Now:
In Association with Amazon.com

World Chess Championship
2002-04 Unification

Last updated 2005-10-25.

(Continued from)

Background

Date Source Link
2001-Sep KasparovChess Garry Kasparov: My 'negotiations' with FIDE
KasparovChess Garry Kasparov on the Current and Future World Championship
2002-Jan KasparovChess 'Topics that must be discussed' by Garry Kasparov
2002-Feb Odessa.ua 'A Fresh Start : On the world championship and the future of chess at the top' by GM Yasser Seirawan
2002-Mar KasparovChess Replies to Seirawan’s "Fresh Start" proposal
KasparovChess Garry Kasparov on 'Fresh Start' and Professional Chess
2002-Apr ChessBase An interview with world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik
ChessBase 'A Recent History of Professional Chess with Garry Kasparov' by Mig Greengard
KasparovChess Dortmund hosts world championship qualifier. Dortmund, Germany, July 6-21, 2002
The Week in Chess A joint proposal from the Einstein Group plc (London) and Madame Nahed Ojjeh (Paris)
The Week in Chess 'Championship Chessmetrics Analysis' by Jeff Sonas

Prague Unity Plan

This Annex A document explains the plan to unify the chess world.

Before discussing the unity plan, we must all realize that the current situation in the chess world makes it virtually impossible to offer a plan that will fully satisfy all interested parties, from FIDE, Vladimir Kramnik and Einstein TV (ETV), Garry Kasparov, the rank and file World's grandmasters and the Chess Commissioners Office for the First Cycle. Contracts have been signed, sponsors have made their commitments and the calendar of chess events does not encourage the staging of many and varied classical chess events to create a FIDE Classical Chess Champion. The plan for the First Cycle should be economical, efficient, marketable and reasonably acceptable to the world's chess players and fans. While the First Cycle is being staged, a firm agreement for the Second Cycle is agreed and its implementation and funding must begin as soon as possible.

Currently, Vladimir Kramnik and ETV have embarked on a cycle that will stage a tournament in Dortmund with seven top grandmasters and the German Champion GM Christopher Lutz. The Dortmund winner is to play Vladimir Kramnik in a match for the Classical Chess World Championship.

We all realize that four top ten players are missing from the ETV cycle: Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov and Vassily Ivanchuk.

UNITY PLAN

Although to would certainly be preferable to include all top 10 players in the First Cycle, timing and existing commitments and contracts appear to make that impossible. In the given circumstances and in the interest of the future of chess we will have to accept that the unity plan is far from perfect.

The Dortmund winner will play the Classical World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik and the present FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov will play Garry Kasparov, the current World's number one rated player.

The two match winners will play a reunification Classical Chess World Championship match in October/November 2003.

The unity plan brings about a single unified Classical World Chess Champion within a one and a half year period. That opens the doors to a new World Chess Championship cycle inclusive of all the top chess players in the world. We realize that cooperation and support of all parties is necessary and that by setting aside personal interests we can achieve this goal.

Resolution of May 6, 2002 on the Unification of the Chess World

  • All parties and persons present at the meeting of May 6, 2002 in Prague have expressed their willingness to support the process of unification of the Chess World.

  • This process accepts the main principle that FIDE is the custodian and owner of the World Chess Championship title and that there should be only one federation - FIDE - recognized by the IOC and the world of sports representing the Chess World

  • The unification process has to lead to only one undisputed World Champion recognized by FIDE.

  • The professional chess world requires a professional management body to be constituted on the basis of a business plan, which will be submitted by Bessel Kok and to be discussed and agreed with the World Chess Foundation and the FIDE Presidential Board within 90 business days after May 6, 2002. on approval of the business plan, FIDE shall issue a license (excluding Einstein Group pre-unification events) to this body to manage professional chess as a profitable business.

  • FIDE supports the principles of unity plan (Annex A) presented by Bessel Kok and will cooperate to help with the acceptance of the principles on which the unity plan is based and the implementation thereof, by all players concerned including the FIDE World Champion, and all organizers involved.

  • All parties and persons present agree to the principles put forward during the meeting with respect to the post-unification World Championships system.

  • All parties and person present at the meeting of May 6, 2002 in Prague have agreed that they will do their utmost to achieve the unification of the Chess World.

Made this day in Prague, May 6, 2002.

Signed by
H.E. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, FIDE President
Bessel Kok
Garry Kasparov
Vladimir Kramnik
Yasser Seirawan
Alexey Orlov, President World Chess Foundation

Evolution

Date Source Link
2002-May The Week in Chess GM Comments on Prague
KasparovChess Breaking News: History made in Prague
KasparovChess Interview with Garry Kasparov
KasparovChess Anand and Ivanchuk will not be allowed to play in Dortmund
KasparovChess Kramnik : 'I made the most concessions'
KasparovChess Interview with Yasser Seirawan
KasparovChess Interview with Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
ChessBase Karpov on Prague
ChessBase 'Mig on Chess' by Mig Greengard
- Part 1 : 'Chess, Politics, and Catering in Prague'
- Part 2 : 'Prague, the Unfunny Article'
ChessBase Kasparov : Ten reasons to accept the peace plan
The Week in Chess 'From a Fresh Start to a New Dawn' by GM Yasser Seirawan : Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
The Week in Chess Grandmasters’ open letter to FIDE
KasparovChess Moscow Press Conference & Einstein Statement
The Week in Chess Statement on behalf of Madame Nahed Ojjeh and Einstein Group
FIDE Proposal for the Unification and Post-Unification World Chess Championships
2002-Jun The Week in Chess Kramnik Statement on Prague
ChessBase 'Reunification, Tempests, and Teapots' by Mig Greengard
ChessBase Ruslan Ponomariov breaks his silence
Chathurangam FIDE may invite Anand
The Week in Chess Yasser Seirawan report on the GM Steering Committee Meeting in Moscow
2002-Jul Chessgate Dortmund Candidates’ Tournament
ChessBase Just say NAO!
2002-Aug ChessBase Raymond Keene on World Chess
ChessBase Kramnik on World Chess
2002-Oct Odessa.ua Ruslan Ponomariov - 'They want to create the most favourable terms for Garry Kimovich!'
The Week in Chess Open letter from Vladimir Kramnik
ChessBase The New World Championship Format by Yasser Seirawan
2002-Nov The Week in Chess Open letter from Alexei Shirov
2002-Dec ChessBase Mig on Chess #182 : Open Letters, Closed Minds, and Karjakings in Spain
ChessBase Seirawan responds to Mig on Chess #182
ChessBase Why should the challenger have more rights?
2003-Jan Odessa.ua Ponomariov-FIDE Crisis
ChessBase Saving the reunification championship
FIDE Kasparov-Ponomariov Match in the Unification Cycle of the World Championship
NAO Ojjeh breaks relations with the Einstein Group
ChessBase Einstein: the players have all been paid!
2003-Feb ChessBase Ponomariov signs deal with FIDE
ChessBase Mig on Chess #187 : Making the Unification Train Run on Time
FIDE Regulations of the World Chess Championship Match 2003
WorldChessRating.com Communique of the Presidential Board Meeting in Bucharest
GM Square GM Golubev Interviews Yasser Seirawan
2003-Apr The Week in Chess Negotiations are at an advanced stage to hold the next Classical Chess World Championship match in Budapest [Kramnik - Leko]
ChessBase Kasparov-Ponomariov match postponed to November?
2003-May The Week in Chess Einstein Admit Defeat
ChessBase Kramnik vs Leko in jeopardy
ChessBase Interview with Carsten Hensel
World Chess Rating The Championship Unification: Key Quotes
2003-Jun rediff.com India World chess in a mess: Anand
ChessBase Another big congress in Yalta?
ChessBase Ponomariov : 'I have lost $150,000'
ChessBase Ponomariov: 'I can beat Kasparov'
2003-Jul UK-Wire Einstein Group plc filed a petition in the High Court seeking the appointment of administrators.
Interfax-Ukraine Leonid Kuchma has signed an order for the organisation of a chess match
FIDE President Putin to open World Championship Match
World Chess Rating Big Summit in Yalta
ChessBase Mig on Chess #192: Can we book our tickets yet?
2003-Aug FIDE World Chess Championship Match Kasparov-Ponomariov 2003
World Chess Rating Anand: Stop the Circus!
ChessBase FIDE give Ponomariov 48-hour deadline
ChessBase Kasparov: no laughing matter!
FIDE Re: Cancellation of the Ponomariov-Kasparov Match
ChessBase FIDE cancels world championship match
FIDE Declaration of the Ukrainian Chess Federation
World Chess Rating Interview with Kasparov on the Match Cancellation
2003-Sep ChessBase Kramnik on the world chess situation
ChessBase Mig on Chess #194: Where did the match go?
ChessBase Anatoly Karpov speaks out
2003-Oct Chessbg.com Exclusive press conference of the world champion Ruslan Ponomariov
2003-Nov FIDE Communique of the 74th FIDE Congress, Kallithea, Halkidiki, Greece
ChessBase A Tragedy of Errors (Interview with Yasser Seirawan) : Part I, Part II
2003-Dec ChessBase The FIDE World Championship plan
2004-Jan ChessBase Kramnik vs Leko in September
2004-Mar ChessBase FIDE world championships in Libya, Hanoi
2004-Apr The Week in Chess Open Letter from Ruslan Ponomariov to the ACP Board
The Week in Chess The ACP Board To Ruslan Ponomariov, FIDE World Champion
ChessBase Mig on Chess #201: To the Shores of Tripoli
The Week in Chess ACP Board and FIDE on World Championship Contract
FIDE Announcement to all chess media & participants of the 2004 World Chess Championship
FIDE Invitation of the Libyan Olympic Committee and FIDE
ChessBase Invitation to a world championship [Dannemann]

(Continued)


World Chess Championship Index.
WCC Index

Previous event.
Previous
Next event.
Next