FIDE and Agon

[Roger de Coverly]

This is a follow up to a post in "Who will win in Tromso"

I rather think Agon is a goner. Andrew may have some influence in FIDE. Certainly Kasparov rather snarled when Andrew and I accidentally encountered him yesterday.

Peter Doggers of chessvibes/chess.com comments on the announcement of a cut down Grand Prix series.

http://www.chess.com/news/fide-publishe ... ities-3023

These paragraphs caught my eye.

Last but not least, for each of the four tournaments travel expenses and full board & lodging costs need to be provided for two AGON representatives, and four times AGON will receive a 15,000 Euro fee for “management & support”.

So what is the situation with AGON? Who owns the company? Where does the prize money come from? Who are the two representatives? What will it be doing with the management & support fees?

Andrew Paulson, who has claimed to be AGON's only shareholder (which was claimed by FIDE as well), told Chess.com: “I have not done anything with AGON in the last 1.5 years. It's out of my hands.”

FIDE could not comment on the AGON situation either, due to “confidentiality clauses.” A spokesperson wrote the following in an email:

“Agon will issue a statement regarding Grand-Prix series till Friday. We are not prepared to speak on ownership now as the issue is still being finalized.”

[Paolo Casaschi]

“Agon will issue a statement regarding Grand-Prix series till Friday. We are not prepared to speak on ownership now as the issue is still being finalized.”

We'll have to wait till Friday then. However, the Agon website has been updated recently with details about the 2014-2015 GP, listing the four cities announced just few days ago. Not sure if this is new information, but the contacts page shows an address in Moscow (there's even a phone number if you want to call them). A wild guess: Agon is being sold to someone close the management of the Russian chess federation.

[Chris Rice]

Apparently that address on the contacts page is something you can access as a benefit of having a Cabinet Lounge club card http://eng.cabinetlounge.com/files/pdf/ ... ip_eng.pdf you can get meeting rooms for $30 an hour amongst a range of services.

I checked with Jersey Companies House and Agon Ltd still there and the only new filings are to confirm the registered office address which has been done this month ( 6 August 2014).

[Matt Fletcher]

I rather think Agon is a goner.

I missed this at the time - but whether deliberate or accidental, I approve of this wordplay.

[Chris Rice]

Attached is the 2014 Agon Ltd Annual Return, dated 29 August 2014, from the Jersey company register site. No changes, AP still sole shareholder. Seems quite unbelievable then that as he doesn't play chess that he is ultimately responsible for selecting four world championship contenders for the FIDE Grand Prix series. If he isn't doing the selecting then who is?

[Roger de Coverly]

Attached is the 2014 Agon Ltd Annual Return, dated 29 August 2014, from the Jersey company register site. No changes, AP still sole shareholder.

That's the position as of 1st January 2014. They were late filing this year, the 1st January 2013 Return was filed in February that year.

I thought the position as of today was that Agon has been sold to an undisclosed buyer.

[Chris Rice]

Attached is the 2014 Agon Ltd Annual Return, dated 29 August 2014, from the Jersey company register site. No changes, AP still sole shareholder.

That's the position as of 1st January 2014. They were late filing this year, the 1st January 2013 Return was filed in February that year.

I thought the position as of today was that Agon has been sold to an undisclosed buyer.

What evidence is there that Agon Ltd was sold?

In addition under Jersey company law there is an obligation to report any substantive changes within 30 days. If Agon Ltd had been sold by AP I'm sure he would have filed a notification to say that the new owner is...effective from...etc. Why would he want to carry legal responsibility for something he is not legally responsible for? Why would a new owner allow this? If the new owner has bought legal title then surely the person would ensure that Jersey FSC had it correct on their register?

However, having said all that, AP did tell me in February 2014 when I questioned him on where the Agon accounts were that he said that he thought the last transaction in AGON was at the beginning of April 2013 and that he was in the process of selling the company to finally put to rest the conflict of interest accusations. He stated that Agon Ltd still held some Intellectual Property assets.

So maybe he has sold these Intellectual Property assets (whatever they are) but kept the company going with himself as sole owner? I don't suppose we're ever going to know either unless AP, the new owner of Agon Ltd assuming one exists or someone from FIDE clarifies the matter.

[Roger de Coverly]

What evidence is there that Agon Ltd was sold?

Claims by AP and the move of the contact address to a serviced office in Moscow.

I also noticed on the pdf filing the words "representative as of 1st January 2014". Whether that has any hidden meaning, I would be unsure, but it might have been used as a form of words by a director who was in post at 1st January but not at 29th August.

I suppose it depends when the sale took place, but it could plausibly have been within the last month, so hasn't had to be filed yet.

Assuming it has been sold, the new owners appear not to wish to publicise their involvement.

[Chris Rice]

The Agon web site has been updated to show details of the upcoming world championship in Sochi. Can't see anything new that's particularly interesting. There is a 'contact' a 23 year old Russian woman, Alvina Chalova, who is registered on the FIDE site but with no ratings. Pretty sure that its John Saunders wielding a camera at the Candidates in London a couple of years ago on the attached link though!

http://www.agonlimited.com/calendar/

[Roger de Coverly]

The new owner of Agon is revealed alongside a story that FIDE has yet to see the prize money due to be paid to Carlsen and Anand.

http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/T6963p ... -fund.html

http://chess-news.ru/en/node/17315

(edit) If you Google "Merenzon Chess", his name pops up in stories about Agon from 2012 (when they moved the Grand Prix to London) and 2010 when he translates Kirsan's replies to questions from the New York Times.

http://92.53.127.61/en/node/8266

http://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11 ... ions/?_r=0

(/edit)