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Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: Men and Women series of Grand Prix will continue |
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Monday, 26 April 2010 |
 The press conference of the FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the Grand Prix tournament with the participation of the First Deputy of the Prime Minister of KBR Murat Tkhazaplizhev and the Minister of Sport and Tourism of KBR Aslan Afaunov took place before the beginning of the opening ceremony of the III leg of the FIDE Women Grand Prix.
- I would like to thank the administration of the Republic, the President Arsen Bashirovich Kanokov for giving the possibility to hold the next stage of Women Grand Prix here, in Nalchik. Really in such a short period, Nalchik has become one of the centers of development for world chess in the last three years, - said Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,- Various tournaments on a high level such as the World Women Chess Championship, Men Grand Prix and other events take place here. The popularity of the sport is increasing, more people want to play chess, and a lot of chess clubs have been restored and opened. The main aim of FIDE is to popularize and develop chess. In Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, they strictly stick to two principles -1) the development of elite professional chess and 2) the mass development of chess. Therefore, I would like to thank the administration of Kabardino-Balkaria, the Government, Sport and Tourism Ministry for the help in the development and popularization of chess games.
In a few minutes, we will open the next stage of the Grand Prix, and other events will take place in Armenia in Jermuko, and in Mongolia in Ulan Bator, and will come to the end in Latin America in Chile. I think, it will be the most interesting competitions for the participants for the world championship title.
By the way, Alexander Kosteniuk became the champion in Nalchik, thereby, having returned a chess crown to Russia.
Murat Tkhazaplizhev thanked Kirsan Ilyumzhinov that KBR have been holding such competitions as the Women World Championship, the Fourth Stage of Men FIDE Grand Prix and the Third Stage among women for the last three years.
- The interest in chess among the population has considerably increased, especially among children, - said Tkhazaplizhev.
 - Nowadays we pay much more attention to the development of mass sport and
chess classes, which were introduced in every school. A lot of good
chess clubs are now opened. We hope that competitions of such level
will help to popularize this interesting kind of sport, which develops
thinking, memory, and other skills, that will be beneficial for our
children. Therefore, I would like to thank you, Kirsan Nikolaevich, for
everything that you are doing.
- Kirsan Nikolaevich, at the opening ceremony of the World Women
Championship of 2008 you have said that for the first time, having heard
the name "Nalchik", everybody rushed to maps to find it. And is Nalchik
well-known among chess players today?
- К.I.: I remember, in Turkey when I presented the KBR
President’s offer to participate in the tender of the candidates for
the World Championship, the reaction of the delegates was a silence.
Then all began to ask, where it was, and searched the position of
Kabardino-Balkaria in Internet. Many said: «It is near the Chechen
republic, and it is in The Caucasus, it is dangerous».
And now all perfectly know about Kabardino-Balkariya, and even ask, when
the next championship or competition will take place in Nalchik. A lot
of people want to come here because you have won sympathy of FIDE
officials and all chess players by your hospitability and love of chess.
- How can you characterize the participants who will compete for the
title of the winner on this tournament tomorrow?
- They are very strong, and the series of The Grand Prix tournaments are
included into the category of the strongest tournaments, and winners
will have the opportunity to struggle for The World championship title.
But we think that there will be some unexpected moments. You know,
women-grand masters addressed to FIDE administration, asking them to
arrange tournaments of high level and The Grand Prix series. And now the
only wish is to continue women series.
- Kirsan Nickolaevich, the next presidential FIDE elections, where
you will have rivals, will take place in the autumn. What can you say
about your election program?
 - In fact, an election is held once in four years. It took place in
Turin in 2006 when my program was supported by the majority of
delegates. Generally speaking, it has been formulated not four years
ago, but in November, 24th, 1995 in Paris on General FIDE assembly. It
contained the plans for finding the way out of the financial and
political bankruptcy, for establishing one organization, representing
interests of chess players and the decision to have only one champion,
one outstanding grand master who would get the chess crown. Besides, one
of the points was to make chess a recognized kind of sport, moreover an
Olympic kind of sports by the International Olympic Committee.
Throughout all these years we have been working over the program and
some of its points were put into life. For example, there is only one
world champion under one version. In 1999 IOC recognized FIDE as the
unique sports international federation representing chess players’
interests in Olympic and sports movement. The same International Olympic
committee recognized chess, as a kind of sport.
The program I am going to present on the elections is also big. All the
members of FIDE Presidential Council and national federations have
already got acquainted with it. Within a month I wait for offers and
additions on it from chess players, national federations and
journalists. The main aim is to continue the development and
popularization of chess. The tactical problem is to make chess an
Olympic kind of sport. And the third point is to compel other states to
enter FIDE (for today it includes 170 countries), so that to increase
the quantity of its members to 203 countries. The further chess
computerization is one of the priorities aiming at reaching a television
format for what Chess News Corporation has been created one and half a
year ago. David Kaplan and Ziavutdin Magomedov invested a lot of money in that fund, many qualified specialists, who untwined other international federations, were invited. In September they will have to present this program on the FIDE General Assembly in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Speaking about a competition I wish to underline, that FIDE is a
democratic organization, and I always welcome, when there is a
competition. But today I am the only official candidate, because last
week the Russian Chess federation officially proposed my nomination.
Being the patriot of Russia, it is very pleasant for me to represent our
country, interests of our sportsmen and chess players of
Kabardino-Balkaria in such an authoritative international sports
federation as FIDE.
Anatoly Karpov announces his desire to participate, but his official
promotion has not been undertaken by any chess federation, though he
speaks about France and some other countries. But we did not receive any
official demands; I did not see Karpov’s programmes.
I do not agree with Anatoly Evgenievich who declared, that the level of
chess has fallen, that’s why we carry out chess actions in
Khanty-Mansiysk, Elista, Nalchik. He offended the people of these
regions. All the people are equal everywhere. Why only Moscovites or
inhabitants of St.Petersburg should see champions, and observe chess
games?! The Main task of FIDE is the popularisation and development of
chess. Who knew at their time Linare, or Groningen, who are well-known
nowadays? Because of the fact that in small cities there were fans of
chess, the sponsors and the whole world learnt about these small cities.
So, my principle in this respect remains invariable.
- M.T.: Let's wish Kirsan Nikolaevich to win at these elections.
It is in our interests ,because he became the friend of our republic,
and I think, that if he remains the President of FIDE , chess will
develop in Kabardino-Balkaria rapidly!
- This time, unlike the Women World Championship of 2008 Georgian
chess-players arrived to Nalchik. Was it was difficult to reach it?
- K.I.: Well, if you remember, there was one Georgian
chess-player , supporting Germany. Two weeks ago, when I was in Georgia,
I expressed the wish to the country leaders, that chess players of
Georgia can play everywhere. There are some moments, when the policy
interferes with sports, but today as we see, all the declared sportsmen
arrived, and all of them will play.
 - A question to Aslan Afaunov: usually countries and organizers hold
tournaments in those areas of sports in which they are strong. We know,
that Kabardino-Balkaria is famous for its fighters, boxers,
heavyweights. But you haven’t got so many chess-players. However, you
held such brilliant tournaments as the World Championship and Grand Prix
FIDE. Why did you begin to develop chess and what were the results:
whether children gave up wrestling and whether they came to chess?
- А.А.: they didn’t give up wrestling, but we also need clever
people, and it is known, that chess consists basically of them. It is a
joke, but, if to be serious, we have some results. For the first time
in the history of Kabardino-Balkaria, our Fatima Shakhmurzova
participated in the World Championship among the girls till 12 years
in Turkey, where she took the 22 place, that was very good result. We
have brothers Kapov, which dynamically grow, become more skillful. There
are many girls, which compete with Shaxhmurzova. So we cannot say that
we hold such competitions in vain. The interest in chess and the
attention to game have increased, and I think, that the further positive
results will not keep us waiting.
- Question to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: A Series of Grand Prix tournaments
has received the great resonance, as in mass-media, so among
chess-players. Is it worse expecting the continuation of these series?
- K.I: Of course, both men and women. As I have already
mentioned, we don’t have any negative opinions. There are only some
suggestions on the improvement of men tournaments, that’s why both men
and women Grand Prix series will continue.
Natalia Petchonova
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