Boycott of the 1998 Elista Olympiad

[Roger de Coverly]

Those with longish memories will recall the advocacy of a boycott of the Elista Olympiad of 1998. This was dismissed by both the BCF and the players selected. Were they right? I doubt a boycott would have achieved anything, but it does give background to the long-standing antipathy by the BCF/ECF to the continued re-election of the then President of Kalmykia as FIDE President.

[David Sedgwick]

I was the BCF International Director in 1998 and I felt that it was right to go. I haven't changed my mind subsequently.

I was anti-Ilyumzhinov in 1996, prior to the time you mention. I haven't changed my mind subsequently about that either.

[NickFaulks]

It was an easy decision to oppose Kirsan in 1998, in the wake of the attempt to place a WC match in Baghdad. Even though the usual self-righting mechanism did prevent this from taking place, it left a very nasty taste.

As I recall, we were all set to vote for Kouatly when he decided he wasn't going to win and withdrew. For some reason he chose not to parlay this into a senior position within FIDE, as has been done with great success by members of the losing ticket in subsequent election years.

Of course, it was in 1994 that the door to a new start really was wide open, until the USCF slammed it shut by switching their support to the Campomanes/Kasparov combo.

[David Sedgwick]

It was an easy decision to oppose Kirsan in 1998, in the wake of the attempt to place a WC match in Baghdad. Even though the usual self-righting mechanism did prevent this from taking place, it left a very nasty taste.

Nick, that was in 1996. The big Ilyumzhinov related issue in 1998 was the Yudina murder.