Kirsan Sanctioned by US Treasury Department

[Kevin Thurlow]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... tions.html

A friend speculates that the chess sets in question may be the missing Holloid ones...

[Roger de Coverly]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... tions.html

The Guardian as well

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/d ... yria-links

[LawrenceCooper]

FIDE PRESIDENT ILYUMZHINOV TO SUE US TREASURE FOR $50 BILLION

https://chessdailynews.com/fide-preside ... 0-billion/

http://rbth.com/news/2015/12/08/george- ... nov_548749

[Roger de Coverly]

FIDE PRESIDENT ILYUMZHINOV TO SUE US TREASURE FOR $50 BILLION

He can try, I suppose. The US Treasury Department is likely a rather tougher opponent than Bessel Kok, Karpov or Kasparov.

[Roger de Coverly]

The ECF has stated its position.

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/statement-on-fide/

Apparently Kirsan was present at the recent European Blitz and Rapid championships, seemingly still acting as FIDE President.

[Michael Flatt]

The ECF has stated its position.
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/statement-on-fide/

The ECF Board approves the FIDE Statement as a first step to restoring public confidence.

The ECF might support or be in agreement with the FIDE statement. I don't see that they have the power to approve it.
I presume Julian Clissold, who posted the statement on the ECF website, must be either Chairman or acting Chief Executive. Perhaps, both?

[Kevin Thurlow]

I wonder if the US Treasury has ever sanctioned the US Government when it has supported terrorism?

Kirsan wanted FIFA, which seems impossible now, how about Blatter taking over FIDE?

[Chris Rice]

The ECF might support or be in agreement with the FIDE statement. I don't see that they have the power to approve it.
I presume Julian Clissold, who posted the statement on the ECF website, must be either Chairman or acting Chief Executive. Perhaps, both?

Yes they must mean "approve of the FIDE statement" which makes sense. Next step surely must be a referral to the FIDE Ethics committee to mirror what happened with Blatter though I would have thought this would have been automatic after such a measure by the US authorities. Perhaps as Kirsan has stepped down this won't be done?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The ECF has stated its position.

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/statement-on-fide/

"The ECF is seeking advice on the matter from the FCO."

Is that the "Foreign and Commonwealth Office". Are they likely to be able to help?

(I had though FCO might be some financial ombudsman - surely such acronyms should be explicitly spelt out in full - it is not such a common one that everyone will recognise it?)

[Roger de Coverly]

Is that the "Foreign and Commonwealth Office". Are they likely to be able to help?

Probably not, but it gives some cover if the FCO says it's fine for the ECF to continue to interact with FIDE and an excuse if the FCO says to disengage. In 1998, there were lobbyists who asked that the BCF withdraw the English teams from the Olympiad. The FCO didn't see any enhanced risk in travelling to Elista.

[Roger de Coverly]

Mark Crowther quotes an email received from the Russian Chess Federation

http://ruchess.ru/news/all/oficialnoe_zajavlenie/

(you will need to enable auto-translation)

This seems to accuse the Turkish Chess Federation of something or other disparaging to Filatov.

I thought it generally known that Filatov is Putin's designated successor to Kirsan. It makes sense as he doesn't have the baggage that prevents Chess Federations supporting Kirsan where the players have some influence .

[Chris Rice]

Mark Crowther quotes an email received from the Russian Chess Federation

http://ruchess.ru/news/all/oficialnoe_zajavlenie/

(you will need to enable auto-translation)

This seems to accuse the Turkish Chess Federation of something or other disparaging to Filatov.

I thought it generally known that Filatov is Putin's designated successor to Kirsan. It makes sense as he doesn't have the baggage that prevents Chess Federations supporting Kirsan where the players have some influence .

Turkey is also accusing Filatov of being involved in the trading of oil with ISIS.

[Mick Norris]

Mark is now referencing this
in Russian
which seems to translate as this
" President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said that the US Treasury documents show that oil-terrorist "Islamic state" (IG) sells "the head of the Russian players." He said this during a speech in the city of Bursa, said Espreso.TV citing Daily Sabah.
"We are aware of the fact that the head of the Russian Chess Federation, buys crude oil from the IG and resells it on. This is shown by the US Treasury documents ", - said the Turkish president. At the same time the names of the main Russian chess Erdogan did not name.
Russian media have suggested that the Turkish president was referring to the president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and former head of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
"I do not have anything to trade in petroleum products not only in the territory of the Turkish Republic, Arab and European countries. I'm not affiliated with any government nor from the legal or natural persons. I have no idea who he (President of Turkey, - ON) had in mind "- quoted Ilyumzhinov" Russian news service. "
Meanwhile, the current President of the Russian Chess Federation is Andrey Filatov. Among his business partners listed Gennady Timchenko - co-founder of one of the largest oil traders in the world of Gunvor and friend Vladimir Putin.
Help OilNews
Andrey Filatov (born in Krivoy Rog, Dnepropetrovsk region., Ukraine) - A prominent Russian businessman, the president of the Russian Chess Federation, vice president of FIDE.
The main asset of Andrei Filatov is LLC "Investment Company" Tuloma. " The businessman also owns stakes in listed on the London Stock Exchange company Global Ports - the largest container operators in Russia. He is co-owner of the private railway group Globaltrans and one of the shareholders of "TRANSOIL" (7%).
Note that the largest shareholder of "Transoil" is Gennady Timchenko - each acting Russian president, whose independent Russian media called "purse of Putin" and co-founder of one of the world's largest oil traders company Gunvor. It exports about 25% of Russian oil. The Prosecutor's Office and the US Department of Justice launched an investigation against Gennady Timchenko - investigators suspect that it could pass through the US financial system resources associated with the alleged corrupt deals in the Russian Federation.
In October 2015 Filatov announced consolidation within the investment company "Tuloma", which specializes in investing in Russian companies and shares his personal assets (excluding Global Ports, Globaltrans and "Transoil"). The investment portfolio "Tuloma", in particular, includes a stake in Coal Mining Investments Ltd., LLC "Pskovneft Terminal" (the annual volume of transshipment of oil products 800 th. Tons), JSC "NOVATEK" (owner of 51% share of "Sibneftegas") PJSC "LUKOIL", OJSC "Surgutneftegas".
In the Russian version of Forbes magazine ranking of the largest business in Russia in 2011 Filatov occupied the 93rd place with a fortune of $ 1.1 billion. In the world ranking in Forbes 2012 state Filatov was estimated at $ 1.3 billion (960 th place in the world)."

[Roger de Coverly]

Turkey is also accusing Filatov of being involved in the trading of oil with ISIS.

TASS (the words Soviet News Agency always come to mind) has a more coherent story blaming (the son of) the Turkish President for spreading allegations.

http://tass.ru/en/sport/846494

I could see that Russian head of chess federation, meaning Kirsan, could get mangled into head of Russian chess federation meaning Filatov.

[NickFaulks]

https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/02/09/wh ... lashpoints

This could give a clue to what Kirsan could have been involved with, if he was indeed involved with anything. Kramnik is convinced that it's all a setup designed to derail the World Championship negotiations in the US, and it cannot be denied that the timing was remarkably apposite.

Money could have been passed through a Russian bank, and Kirsan could have been on the board of that bank. No evidence has been produced to support either contention and I don't supposed it ever will be. That's not how the Treasury Department works, you are guilty until proved innocent and denied any opportunity to prove yourself innocent.