Corruption scandal rocks the Bulgarian Chess Federation

[NickFaulks]

I doubt the ECF or English chess players had much enthusiasm for either candidate.

My guess is that the ECF had considerable enthusiasm for Danailov, who was generally viewed as the Kasparov candidate.

[Roger de Coverly]

My guess is that the ECF had considerable enthusiasm for Danailov, who was generally viewed as the Kasparov candidate.

I think if you check back the views as expressed on this forum and elsewhere, it was that the ECF would be actively campaigning for Kasparov, but just voting for Danailov. Don't forget that a hatred of Kasparov is a minority interest amongst British players.

[JustinHorton]

Now when we all knew that huge corruption is going on in ECU whey ECF gave their vote to him ?

I doubt the ECF or English chess players had much enthusiasm for either candidate.

Well ah cough (and apologies to David for mentioning it).

Other than that my memory is pretty much the same as Roger's, i.e. the ECF voted for Danailov but didn't campaign for him.

They were most unwise, but it could have been worse.

[NickFaulks]

I think if you check back the views as expressed on this forum and elsewhere, it was that the ECF would be actively campaigning for Kasparov, but just voting for Danailov.

My impression in Tromso was that the ECF was campaigning for both.

[NickFaulks]

Well ah cough

Ancient history now, but I've gone back to that thread. What became clear after Tromso was that many of the Eastern European federations who would normally have supported him did not do so because they knew what he had been up to and that it would not end well. Their Western counterparts either did not have the information or chose to tune it out.

[JustinHorton]

I think mostly the latter

[Darko Polimac]

Hi all

Yes it is official Silvio Danailov resigned and his resignation was accepted by board unanimously

http://www.livesport.bg/silvio-danailov ... 29717.html

The most important fact is that all member federations were informed in 2014 by letter from Montenegro Police about corruption in Montenegro chess fed and still some of federations ignored this letter by giving support to Danailov . Strange !

[Roger de Coverly]

There has been a recent CAS hearing.

http://www.tas-cas.org/en/general-infor ... ngs-2.html

11 April 2017
CAS 2016/A/4871 Vladimir Sakotic v. FIDE World Chess Federation

Sakotic was the former CEO of the European Chess Union (ECU) and as alleged by this piece from last year http://www.chessdom.com/vladimir-sakoti ... -delaware/, had some connection with the Delaware version of ECU.

There's also this story
http://www.chessdom.com/ecu-press-relea ... w-details/
about the 2013 European Youth Championship.

[Darko Polimac]

Well ah cough

Ancient history now, but I've gone back to that thread. What became clear after Tromso was that many of the Eastern European federations who would normally have supported him did not do so because they knew what he had been up to and that it would not end well. Their Western counterparts either did not have the information or chose to tune it out.

I doubt this as the letter from Police was sent to all federations prior vote took place in Tromso so they all knew very well . However as Mr Short was delegate we all knew that his vote is going to Danailov / Was he delegate ?

[Pete Morriss]

I received the letter to which I assume Darko is referring, in June 2014 (as I was Chairperson of the ICU at the time). All it contained was a request for information about any money we [the ICU] paid to the organisers of the European Youth Championship held in Montenegro in 2013, in fees and so on. There was no mention of Danailov, or any reason to believe that the letter had anything to do with Danailov or anybody else outside the Montenegro Chess Federation. There was also no suggestion that any corruption by anyone had been proved; indeed, it was clear that nothing had been proved, as the Montenegro Police were still conducting enquiries. Hence Nigel has no questions to answer on this.

[David Sedgwick]

I doubt the ECF or English chess players had much enthusiasm for either candidate.

Well ah cough (and apologies to David for mentioning it).

My guess is that the ECF had considerable enthusiasm for Danailov, who was generally viewed as the Kasparov candidate.

Nick overstates things.

The ECF supported Silvio Danailov, and I was pleased that we did so, because:

1. We were not prepared to support Xurab Azmaipashvili.

2. We were pleased with the composition of Danailov's ticket. It contained some highly respected people, notably Horst Metzing of Germany. If you look back at Justin's "cough", you will see that I specifically referred to supporting "the Silvio Danailov ticket".

To their credit, the new ECU Board promptly reached out to those Federations which had not supported them as well as to those which had. Relations between the ECF and the ECU now are much better than I had anticipated at the time of the ECU elections.

One of the Board's first actions was to confirm my appointment as Chief Arbiter for the then forthcoming European Small Nations Team Championship in Guernsey in April 2015. I had not expected this necessarily to happen owing to my public opposition to Azamaiparashvili on this forum. I made a point of thanking the Board at the closing dinner for the event.

[NickFaulks]

Nick overstates things.

According to the minutes helpfully referenced by Roger, that would appear to be the case. I must have had some reason to feel that a bit more enthusiasm was shown in Tromso but it's not my continent and I heard only second hand snippets, so perhaps it didn't amount to much.

[Darko Polimac]

I received the letter to which I assume Darko is referring, in June 2014 (as I was Chairperson of the ICU at the time). All it contained was a request for information about any money we [the ICU] paid to the organisers of the European Youth Championship held in Montenegro in 2013, in fees and so on. There was no mention of Danailov, or any reason to believe that the letter had anything to do with Danailov or anybody else outside the Montenegro Chess Federation. There was also no suggestion that any corruption by anyone had been proved; indeed, it was clear that nothing had been proved, as the Montenegro Police were still conducting enquiries. Hence Nigel has no questions to answer on this.

Dear Pete

I was member of the Executive back then as well. The letter was from Montenegro Police re ECU tournament organised by ECU and Montenegro chess federation .
So this was not Montenegro chess union matter but ECU . The Montenegro Police was involved because this tournament was held in Budva - Montenegro . The main organiser was Vladimir Sakotic who was ECU Board CEO and closest friend of Silvio Danailov .

http://www.chessdom.com/scandal-in-mont ... to-resign/

The last sentence in this article - The developments around the European Youth Championships in Budva will definitely have an impact on the ECU Presidential race.

The money was sent to account ECU Delaware and Sakotic - Danailov involvement was proven latter in court case .

It continues

http://www.chessdom.com/vladimir-sakoti ... -delaware/

It was really clear that Danailov was involved with his team in huge corruption and I was talking about it at the meeting .
But you know best who was winking when vote took place in Limerick . Wink Wink !

On another note the letter from Police in Montenegro was the last on agenda and discussed after vote took place while the false allegations from one member of the Executive were discussed prior !

Coincidence ?

[LawrenceCooper]

http://www.europechess.org/cas-dismisse ... on-appeal/

[Darko Polimac]

The CAS dismiss report at the ECU website is not complete!

Soon they will publish the full report