English Arbiters to suffer???

[Gerard Killoran]

'Isn't it against FIDE statutes to discriminate on racial grounds?'

It is, but they're discriminating against federations on the basis of vexatious litigation. Believe me, there is a difference.

[Paul Cooksey]

'Isn't it against FIDE statutes to discriminate on racial grounds?'

It is, but they're discriminating against federations on the basis of vexatious litigation. Believe me, there is a difference.

I agree that there is no reason to suspect racial discrimination. But I'd also question "vexatious", given the detail of the CAS decision and the amount of costs awarded.

Jonathan entirely right to criticise the ECF board for failing to disclose the current CAS case. But no-one could have doubted the ECF's opposition to the current FIDE leadership, based on Dr Short's AGM report. Indeed he was re-elected nem con, even after discussion of potential reprisals from FIDE.

Amoral as they may be, the 2700 politics from FIDE are impressive. Most organisations, when their internal failings are publicised, would not have the brass neck to go on the offensive. Arguing their friends, the developing chess nations, are the ones who suffer when FIDE are challenged is inspired. Equally sanctioning arbiters, who are usually involved in domestic politics, rather than players, who are generally not, has a Machiavellian genius to it.

Still, I remain happy for the ECF to be dissident while Ilyumzhinov is in charge. It won't be forever.

[Gerard Killoran]

Doctor Short! Surely he's not using an honorary title now is he?

[Roger de Coverly]

Still, I remain happy for the ECF to be dissident while Ilyumzhinov is in charge. It won't be forever.

Whilst I suspect that a Bulgarian and a Turk have their eyes on the President's job, thus explaining why they are always fighting, it's difficult to see the circumstances in which they would suggest to Kirsan that he spends more time in his spaceship.

[Alex McFarlane]

Equally sanctioning arbiters, who are usually involved in domestic politics, rather than players, who are generally not, has a Machiavellian genius to it.

But this is certainly not the case here. The Alternate President almost certainly had influence over the Board on this matter yet will still be able to participate in the Olympiad. Former Board Member Stewart Reuben also would have been able to participate in the decision to take legal action and yet he remains in office for FIDE so will be able to go to the Olympiad.

I'm not sure how Sean voted in the motion to reject the FIDE delegate's report at the Council meeting (the only chance to the membership had to object to the secrecy surrounding the legal action against FIDE) but Lara certainly voted to reject the report. Yet she is the one to suffer.

It is up to Andrew Farthing to report here and/or on the ECF website what actions the ECF Board are taking. I only hope that the Board is more open in what it is doing this time. Mr Farthing also gave assurances at the Council Meeting that the ECF would not incur any costs as a result of the action taken. Lara is now suffering those costs. I hope that the ECF lives up to the assurances given by Mr Farthing and that the Board's reaction is more than just a strong letter of complaint.

Question for discussion,
a) should England send a team to the Olympiad under the current circumstances?
b) what other action should England take on behalf of its arbiters?

[Roger de Coverly]

I hope that the ECF lives up to the assurances given by Mr Farthing and that the Board's reaction is more than just a strong letter of complaint.

On the face of it FIDE and the Turkish federation are on very dangerous ground. As a generalisation, a National organisation is organising an International event. By established custom, many of the officials are neutral in the sense of not being from the hosts and there is an established nomination process external to the host. The hosts are objecting to some of the nominated officials, not on the grounds on competence, but on the grounds that the host federation disapproves of some of the actions of an official's federation.

[Matthew Turner]

FIDE are really taking this action, but they are doing it in the name of the Turkish Fedration to avoid the risk of litigation. This is a public response, but there will be much more behind the scenes. When the hotels get dished out at the Olympiad or the World Youth will the English group get the best ones - I very much doubt it.

[Andrew Zigmond]

Am I the only person to recall Sarah Hurst's campaign for the Olympiads to be boycotted when Ilyumzhinov first arrived on the scene? I don't recall Dr Short being particularly vocal then and Stewart Reuben was the one who removed Ms Hurst from her position as editor of ChessMoves (granted, there was a case against using an in house magazine to criticise players and officials but when the editor is taking a stand for human rights trying to gag her is a rather graceless thing to do).

There is no doubt in my mind that Ilyumzhinov is a deeply dangerous man, a profound embarrassment to chess and that the ECF is right to take a stand against him. Were it not for FIDE's one member one vote structure that allows small nations to be easily bribed he would be long forgotten by now. And yet the stand by the ECF is extraordinarily inconsistent; if they feel that strongly why do they not boycott all FIDE events altogether?

That said I do feel that Lara is an accidental victim here and it's just bad luck that she's been kicked in the teeth yet again (although if there is going to be unpleasantness towards English representatives in Istanbul she might be well off out of it). To be honest I think asking certain members of the ECF board to care is a bit like praying for rain in a desert; they could barely muster any public support when she was subjected to public scorn and hate mail.

[NickFaulks]

FIDE are really taking this action, but they are doing it in the name of the Turkish Fedration to avoid the risk of litigation. This is a public response, but there will be much more behind the scenes. When the hotels get dished out at the Olympiad or the World Youth will the English group get the best ones - I very much doubt it.

No, that is untrue. Yacizi is a loose cannon, and FIDE must be deeply dissatisfied with aspects of the Istanbul Olympiad. Even if they do agree with his handling of this issue, they have no control over his actions.

Unusually, I have a lot of sympathy with Ali here. He has worked tirelessly on the Chess in Schools project, which is a good one, and will find that a chunk of his budget has been diverted to the costs of defending against a frivolous lawsuit ( which was overtly designed to achieve precisely that end ). CACDEC, which despite its inefficiencies really does encourage chess in poor nations, will also suffer. White & Case told the CAS that FIDE could comfortably pay its own costs, since they could simply reimburse themselves by taxing their federations, and the judge bought that argument. As the ECF knows, it isn't that easy.

[JustinHorton]

Re: the unresolved case, I emailed CAS some time ago to ask whether they knew whether a judgement was expected. I was not favoured with a reply.

I think it's pretty lousy to punish arbiters for the actions of their federations.

[John Upham]

I am to curious know the reaction of David Jarrett, Nigel Freeman and Nigel Short to this unwelcome development.

The credibility of the TCF has not been enhanced by this childish behaviour.

[Roger de Coverly]

a chunk of his budget has been diverted to the costs of defending against a frivolous lawsuit ( which was overtly designed to achieve precisely that end ).

As damaging to FIDE's ego as it might be to concede defeat to Kasparov, it isn't always necessary to contest legal actions, particularly when you don't really have the funds to contest them. So FIDE could have conceded the Vice-Presidents issue, and blamed it on the ECF, which would have been news to most English players and might have influenced the re-election of the ECF's FIDE delegate.

I agree it would have been rather more difficult to not contest the "Is Kirsan a legal candidate question". But from a European player's point of view, what are the circumstances in which Kirsan would ever stand down? There's sufficient support from small federations, that he can retain his post for life.

[Gerard Killoran]

Were it not for FIDE's one member one vote structure that allows small nations to be easily bribed he would be long forgotten by now.

I'm sorry but I don't think there's any evidence that this would be the case. I'm afraid this is precisely the attitude that has given the British - and in particular the English - a well deserved reputation for arrogance in international sport and has ensured we get so fewer and fewer votes each time in our bids to host a Football World Cup. Backing Gary Kasparov in yet another costly law suit against FIDE is hardly going to increase our popularity with small nations who rely on FIDE for development is it? Besides, what do we get out of it? What could we possibly gain even if we win?

It is a tragedy and crime that Lara Barnes could be barred from the Olympiad, but didn't our FIDE delegate - 'Doctor' Short - say to her on this very site, 'What you care to do in your Mickey Mouse tournaments is your own business'? I have to ask if he cares about the collateral damage caused by waging lawfare against FIDE. Electing the good 'Doctor' to be our FIDE delegate had foreseeable consequences. What goes around, comes around.

[Paul Cooksey]

I guess CAS is already bogged down by the Olympics, so we might be waiting a while longer.

It is always interesting to get Nick's perspective, so I am resisting the urge to criticise every word he writes . But still I'm unconvinced we should be using the word frivolous. Firstly, in respect of England and Georgia, because that case is not yet decided. CAS seems to be thinking about something, and it may even decide in the ECFs favour. Secondly in the earlier case, it is difficult to form an independent view on the facts. So the decision of a respected body like CAS carrys some weight for me. They didn't call the case frivolous, they found FIDE at fault in some ways, and they didin't require Karpov et all to pay substantial costs.

I can accept that the case was timed to distract focus and resources. But the idea FIDE is an innocent victim of dirty politics, seems very unlikley, on the facts we know. Either way the actions of the Turkish Federation seem wrong, and I hope FIDE will condemn them.

I am not a born revolutionary like Roger. But what we get from FIDE seems very limited. Their rating system is creaking, and their titles devalued. I might be more comfortable with a European Federation, certainly if Russia was in it.

[Paul Cooksey]

Electing the good 'Doctor' to be our FIDE delegate had foreseeable consequences.

As I said in an early post, not just forseeable but also forseen.

I found Gerard's arguments difficult to accept, they seem to consider only what is expedient not what is right. Blaming ECF Directors for the actions of the Turkish Federation seems to me wrong.