Repercussions / Fallout from FIDE Elections?

[Mick Norris]

Surely best for English chess to leave the past in the past.

Definitely not; it is the failure to learn from the past that continues to lead to mistakes in the present

[Richard Bates]

I haven’t posted on this thread before, but I suspect that I hold the views of most of the people in British Chess, perhaps world chess. We’d like to see Malcolm Pein as the President of FIDE - he is simply the best candidate. That wasn’t on offer, the choice was between a powerful state backed candiadate who had organised the Football World Cup and a candidate mired in the bureaucracy of FIDE. The right person won; Nigel backed the right horse and Malcom didn’t. I hope that FIDE can move forward and that Nigel and Malcolm will be part of that. This is a good result for chess; We have a FIDE president who organised the Football World Cup, not just any World Cup, but a really, really, good World Cup. Just reflect on that for a moment and be positive for the future.

A candidate mired in FIDE bureaucracy versus a candidate mired in the Russian state? I'd say the jury's out. The question for me would be whether the limit of Putin's basic geopolitical motivation for Russia running FIDE is simply a prestige thing (a bit like hosting the Olympics, the World Cup, a Formula 1 Grand Prix), to send a message that he and Russia is a country to be taken seriously and buttress political support at home. If (and its a not small if) that's it, and beyond that chess is allowed to do its own thing then one can see that he (Dvorkovich) might be a success, at least in the short term.

I have no doubt though that if in future the interests of chess/FIDE start to deviate from the interests of the Russian state then chess is not likely to prevail. And on an equally concerning point for those who say that, on a point of principle, geopolitics shouldn't interfere with sporting activity is that that point has probably passed for good with FIDE. Whether a wider range of governments might take an interest and cause real division only time will tell.

Of course at the level of the vast majority of chessplayers this will probably make no difference whatsover.

[Chris Rice]

Nigel:

"This morning I was appointed FIDE Vice President. My former deputy, @lukaszturlej joins me on the Presidential Board."

So tearing up the AGON contract will no doubt be Nigel's first order of business.

[Richard Bates]

Nigel:

"This morning I was appointed FIDE Vice President. My former deputy, @lukaszturlej joins me on the Presidential Board."

So tearing up the AGON contract will no doubt be Nigel's first order of business.

What direct power does a FIDE Vice-president have, and wouldn’t that put the World Championship in jeopardy?

[Chris Rice]

Nigel:

"This morning I was appointed FIDE Vice President. My former deputy, @lukaszturlej joins me on the Presidential Board."

So tearing up the AGON contract will no doubt be Nigel's first order of business.

What direct power does a FIDE Vice-president have, and wouldn’t that put the World Championship in jeopardy?

Well Makro had a fair bit of influence in that position. I don't think that the AGON contract would be torn up before the World Championship match, but future events would clearly be in jeopardy.

[Richard Bates]

Nigel:

"This morning I was appointed FIDE Vice President. My former deputy, @lukaszturlej joins me on the Presidential Board."

So tearing up the AGON contract will no doubt be Nigel's first order of business.

What direct power does a FIDE Vice-president have, and wouldn’t that put the World Championship in jeopardy?

Well Makro had a fair bit of influence in that position. I don't think that the AGON contract would be torn up before the World Championship match, but future events would be clearly be in jeopardy.

I thought Makro was deputy president?

Appointment of Vice Presidents was what one of the court cases was about, no? There are several of them.

[Chris Rice]

What direct power does a FIDE Vice-president have, and wouldn’t that put the World Championship in jeopardy?

Well Makro had a fair bit of influence in that position. I don't think that the AGON contract would be torn up before the World Championship match, but future events would be clearly be in jeopardy.

I thought Makro was deputy president?

Appointment of Vice Presidents was what one of the court cases was about, no? There are several of them.

Yes sorry, Bachar Kouatly is the Deputy President and Nigel would occupy the same position as Granda Zuniga and Mammedov. I still think he won't be stopped on this AGON issue though.

[David Sedgwick]

What direct power does a FIDE Vice-president have, and wouldn’t that put the World Championship in jeopardy?

Well Makro had a fair bit of influence in that position. I don't think that the AGON contract would be torn up before the World Championship match, but future events would be clearly be in jeopardy.

Makro was (and is until tomorrow) the Deputy President.

Being one of up to twelve Vice Presidents is important, but doesn't carry quite as much clout.

Nigel's appointment is significant nevertheless. As there can be no more than one Vice President from a Federation, the ECF cannot put anyone forward for election as a Vice President. I think that those elections may now be in progress.

[Mick Norris]

I haven’t posted on this thread before, but I suspect that I hold the views of most of the people in British Chess, perhaps world chess. We’d like to see Malcolm Pein as the President of FIDE - he is simply the best candidate. That wasn’t on offer, the choice was between a powerful state backed candiadate who had organised the Football World Cup and a candidate mired in the bureaucracy of FIDE. The right person won; Nigel backed the right horse and Malcom didn’t. I hope that FIDE can move forward and that Nigel and Malcolm will be part of that. This is a good result for chess; We have a FIDE president who organised the Football World Cup, not just any World Cup, but a really, really, good World Cup. Just reflect on that for a moment and be positive for the future.

A candidate mired in FIDE bureaucracy versus a candidate mired in the Russian state? I'd say the jury's out. The question for me would be whether the limit of Putin's basic geopolitical motivation for Russia running FIDE is simply a prestige thing (a bit like hosting the Olympics, the World Cup, a Formula 1 Grand Prix), to send a message that he and Russia is a country to be taken seriously and buttress political support at home. If (and its a not small if) that's it, and beyond that chess is allowed to do its own thing then one can see that he (Dvorkovich) might be a success, at least in the short term.

I have no doubt though that if in future the interests of chess/FIDE start to deviate from the interests of the Russian state then chess is not likely to prevail. And on an equally concerning point for those who say that, on a point of principle, geopolitics shouldn't interfere with sporting activity is that that point has probably passed for good with FIDE. Whether a wider range of governments might take an interest and cause real division only time will tell.

Of course at the level of the vast majority of chessplayers this will probably make no difference whatsover.

Indeed; there's lots of information out there for those interested e.g. FiveThirtyEight

I wouldn't like to see Malcolm as FIDE President; I don't think he's made the right decisions in who to support and who to oppose

[JustinHorton]

Indeed; there's lots of information out there for those interested e.g. FiveThirtyEight

That's not a bad piece, though it engages in the usual bad habit of treating Garry Kasparov as an impeccable and uncontroversial source (and for that matter Rex Sinquefield).

wouldn't like to see Malcolm as FIDE President; I don't think he's made the right decisions in who to support and who to oppose

I wouldn't either, fundamentally because I don't like the man or his methods. But I'll give him his due, which is that he has a commitment to chess for juniors and for that matter chess for women. Nigel Short's attitude to women, by contrast, is well documented, and his commitment has only ever been to his own advancement.

They're both bullies, in my view and experience, but one is a bigger bully than the other.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Well, it will be a while before Malcolm forgives or forgets, if various reported conversations at Batumi are to be believed.

But as Matt says, Malcolm backed the wrong horse. He said that he had considered standing for President himself, before apparently being persuaded to join a wholly undesirable ticket with a view to having a go in 2022. As we can now see, he needed to summon the courage to stand this time - how often is there a genuine vacancy? He might have been surprised by the level of support he got from those fed up with the Kirsan crew. He would probably have still lost to Dvorkovich when the latter appeared on the scene, but he would have been happier sailing under his own wind, and would have taken defeat much better. Indeed, one cannot help feeling, he might have found himself willing to do the deal with Dvorkovich that Makro declined.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Definitely not; it is the failure to learn from the past that continues to lead to mistakes in the present "

Absolutely right.

[JustinHorton]

Indeed, one cannot help feeling, he might have found himself willing to do the deal with Dvorkovich that Makro declined.

I think most of what you say is right, but I'm not sure about this: I think he'd have had more problems doing the deal Nigel did. Partly because politically he's been much more outspokenly anti-Putin than Nigel, who may have fewer past statements on the subject to explain away, partly because he's not quite as shameless as Nigel is.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Indeed, one cannot help feeling, he might have found himself willing to do the deal with Dvorkovich that Makro declined.

I think most of what you say is right, but I'm not sure about this: I think he'd have had more problems doing the deal Nigel did. Partly because politically he's been much more outspokenly anti-Putin than Nigel, who may have fewer past statements on the subject to explain away, partly because he's not quite as shameless as Nigel is.

Maybe, and agreed that he is not shameless in the way that Nigel is. But on the "past statements" point, he didn't have too much difficulty explaining the co-operation with Makro, whose team he must have criticised often enough in the past.

[Matthew Turner]

I think Malcolm has been consistent in that he has effectively wanted to end Russia's control of FIDE. This election has surely proven that is impossible in the foreseeable future. Perhaps the answer then is for Rex Sinquefield to get his wallet out and set up a rival to FIDE. That could mean interesting times ahead.