Tidbits
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
GM Felgaer champion of Argentina!
GM Rubén Felgaer with the president of the Argentino Chess Club (Dr. Gonçalves) and with president of the Argentine Chess Federation – FADA– (Nicolás Barrera)
The Championship took place at the world famous Argentino Chess Club from the 5th to 16th of July. The format was a 53-player open swiss. The winner (Felgaer) scored 8 points, a half point ahead of 4 players: Gms Valerga and Ricardi, Im Iermito and FM Julia.
The tournament winner’s best game
POSITION AFTER BLACK’S 35th MOVE (…f6)
MARECO
FELGAER
After an instructive phase of of cat and mouse manoeuvres, Felgaer has succeeded to build up a dominating attack against the Black King. How does White break thru and put a quick finish to the game?
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It should also be mentioned that the female Championship took place parallel to the mens event
This year’s deserving victor: Maria Plazaola
MISCELANEOUS PHOTOS FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP
http://www.cargentinodeajedrez.com.ar/
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The Argentine National Team that will be going to the Olympiad in September has been announced: GM Anton Kovaliov, GM Rubén Felgaer, GM Diego Flores, GM Diego Valerga, and GM Pablo Lafuente.
18 year old GM Anton Kovaliov (right) will be representing Argentina for the 2nd Olympiad in a row. Here he is participating at the recently concluded Quebec Open (Top section), where Anton tied for 1st place. Anton has steadfastly kept his distance from the CFC since his taking up residency in Canada some 3 summers ago.
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It should also be mentioned that the female Championship took place parallel to the mens event
MISCELANEOUS PHOTOS FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP
http://www.cargentinodeajedrez.com.ar/
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Logo of the Peruvian chess federation
PERU EXPLAINS WHY IT IS VOTING FOR ILYUMZHINOV AND NOT KARPOV
In an act of transparency and good will, the president of the Peruvian chess federation–Milton Iturry–published on an official website his explanation why his country has decided to support Ilyumzhinov for another term as head of the gigantic international chess federation. It must also be understood that nasty rumours of traffic of influence between FIDE and FDPA leaders have appeared in the press in Peru, and no doubt the explanation aimed to put a stop to this.
For those readers who can not read spanish, then I summarize Iturry’s main reasons for supporting Kirsan Ilyumzhinov:
1. Peru supports the principle of ‘one country-one vote’ and believes that Ilymuzhinov’s mandate will assure that this will not change anytime in the near future. Mr. Iturry pointed out that Mr. Karpov’s stance on this issue did not give him the same confidence.
2. Ilyumzhinov’s track record during the past 15 years meets with the approval of the Peruvian chess federation: Kirsan took over a weak and inefficient FIDE –one without a unified world championship since the time Kasparov tried to break FIDE in 1993–and has brought back stability and the world championship title.
3. Ilyumzhinov has seen FIDE grow in terms of members.
4. FIDE today respects all federations equally and without discrimination.
5. The vision of Ilyumzhinov sees the game of chess play a greater role than just the simple movement of pieces on the board. While top level chess is no doubt important, the promotion of the game can not be limited by narrow concerns of a few. School chess and the derivative educational values of the game are no less important.
6. Mr. Iturry knows both Karpov and Ilyumzhinov quite well and has discussed at length many important topics of relevance in this campaign. Mr. Iturry–while he certainly respects Mr. Karpov–feels confident that Ilyumzhinov is the best qualified candidate to run FIDE.
Furthermore, Mr. Iturry points out that had Karpov’s campaign been more focused on dealing with the leaders of the national federations (the ones who actually run chess federations) rather than on the actual country presidents and political leaders who have little (if anything) to do with chess affairs, then his decision might have been different.
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In the midst of some desperate and cheap personal attacks over the weekend on the person of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov by un-named Karpov campaign members, Ilyumzhinov has played his best card yet: today it was announced that no less than 80 countries have committed their support for the re-election of the popular Kalmyki leader. Alongside Karpov’s 23 official votes, well…you get the drift!
The Karpov campaign has been run with the elegance of a bull in a china-shop since the very beginning. Trying merely to capitalize on Karpov’s mega-star status (together with his side-kick Kasparov), virtually the entire Karpov campaign gives the impression of trying to avoid real, concrete issues. His platform became public almost reluctantly.
Instead the press was treated to glitzy parties in Moscow and NYC. Of high profile visits to paparazzi-seeking political leaders . This has been most worrying for those smaller chess federations who are afraid of being relegated into the closet or of losing their voting status should a european-dominated group of 1980’s chess players come to power in FIDE in September.
Now there is a climate of distrust among many people of just what Karpov’s real plans were when he started this campaign. First the Russian Chess Federation was victimized in a highly publicized palace coup after Karpov’s aspirations of receiving its support vanished. Next allegations of corruption against the incumbent president resulted in legal action against Karpov. And most recently the Lausaune Court of Arbitration has been used as a political pawn by Karpov’s campaign in yet one more effort to discredit Ilyumzhinov.
No doubt the court will not appreciate such blatant manipulation when it gives its decision–probably to throw out the entire process. In particular, the status of the RCF support will be most embarrassing to Karpov. How else is the Court of Arbitration to ascertain the truth other than by asking the current RCF administration who it supports? Is there anyone who doubts that the RCF supports Ilyumzhinov?
It rests to be seen how much lower Karpov’s team will go before this all ends.
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PS. On the Ilyumzhinov campaign site (http://www.onefide.com/) , Nigel Freeman–FIDE treasurer and one of the most respected individuals in the chess world–gave a short interview. I include one excerpt:
”The Karpov team strategy has been completely negative, which I find very disappointing. I do not quite understand their strategy, which seems to have been to put everything on winning in the Russian Federation and then when that did not succeed, going to the law courts.
They have come up with no concrete plans, just vague assertions, many of which are not backed up with any facts and are highly damaging to the reputation and the finances of the Organisation that they are trying to take over.
They obviously do not understand FIDE and how it works and their plans for its future are in no way well thought or costed out. Particularly their plan to have FIDE’s Head Office in Moscow and open offices in Paris and the New York, the tax implications of which have obviously not been taken into account.”
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS