Kasparov and the election

[JustinHorton]

As has been noted here and elsewhere, one of the curious aspects of the recent Presidential election has been the apparent indifference of Garry Kasparov to the result, given that Kasparov spends most of any given day complaining about the influence of Vladimir Putin.

Now Goran Urosevic has claimed on Twitter that Garry was not so much indifferent as on Dvorkovich's side, and that evidence of this was the active campaigning of key Kasparov people for the former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.

He identified these people as:

• Michael Khodarkovsky (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in the USA)

• Graham Jurgensen (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in Africa)

• Essis Essoh (who he says was Kasparov's candidate for Africa)

Now obviously Urosevic is by no means a neutral observer in this campaign, nor an uncontroversial individual. I'm also aware that people change sides in FIDE politics, and that just because somebody may work for Garry Kasparov or his Foundation, that doesn't mean they are always his to command.

But what Urosevic says is interesting nonetheless. So what I'd like to know, not least because I'm not entirely familiar with the dramatis personae, is:

• Does Urosevic identify these people correctly?

• Were they campaigning for Dvorkovich in Batumi?

Fundamentally I'm looking for accurate information rather than speculation: knowing who is connected to whom, in what way, and who did what for whom might be important here.

[Nick Grey]

Why?

[NickFaulks]

The 78 dignified federations would include those ( double figures ) who provided the Makro team with proxies?

And the Arab federations who cannot stomach Dvorovich because he has stated explicitly that they will not be permitted to host FIDE events from which Israelis are excluded?

And almost the entire American continent, which immediately started mending fences - Martha Fierro, Vega's representative on the losing ticket, found herself installed on the new PB the following morning?

That doesn't leave many.

[JustinHorton]

The 78 dignified federations would include those ( double figures ) who provided the Makro team with proxies?

It's not that part of his spiel that I'm interested in: my sole interest is in the accuracy of the claims about which I asked.

[NickFaulks]

It's not that part of his spiel that I'm interested in: my sole interest is in the accuracy of the claims about which I asked.

Understood. It is not a secret that Khodarkovsky is close to Kasparov and once Dvorkovich expressed a willingness to work with the USCF, while Marko told them to get lost, it came as no surprise that he would be their FIDE insider.

[JustinHorton]

Sure. But to your knowledge, did he and the other people actually actively campaign for Dvorkovich? You can probably understand that from where I'm standing, although this is all interesting stuff, since I wasn't in Batumi the above is just a set of uncorroborated claims from a source who's about as far from impartial as he could be.

(Nor would I necessarily know what conclusion to draw if what he says is true. Matter of fact it'd probably just makes things murkier. But I'm curious nonetheless.)

[NickFaulks]

He identified these people as:

• Michael Khodarkovsky (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in the USA)

I'll start with this one because I believe that I am reasonably well informed.

The USCF, like the ECF, sent a heavyweight delegation to Batumi. It is likely that Michael did have a predisposition towards Dvorkovich but the rest of them, including their new President, arrived with open minds, not much liking either serious candidate. They attended almost every Commission meeting and it was evident that they were becoming increasingly disgusted with the way Makro was running FIDE. I'm not sure you could say that they were actually campaigning for Dvorkovich, but they did not keep their newly formed opinions to themselves. Once again, Michael may have led the way here, with Ruth Haring bringing up the rear.

• Graham Jurgensen (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in Africa)

• Essis Essoh (who he says was Kasparov's candidate for Africa)

Africa was an even bigger mess than usual and I'm still trying to rationalise what happened. How on earth did Lewis Ncube, who looked friendless only a year ago, get re-elected as African President? I did spend some time with the Africans and have a theory but am seeking other views.

[Chris Rice]

Africa was an even bigger mess than usual and I'm still trying to rationalise what happened. How on earth did Lewis Ncube, who looked friendless only a year ago, get re-elected as African President? I did spend some time with the Africans and have a theory but am seeking other views.

There is quite a good article on ChessBase, Dvorkovich ally Lewis Ncube remains African chess head Looks like Ncube had a decent team around him which might have helped secure his re-election.

I never got the impression that Kasparov was that interested in the Presidential election, I think he was done and dusted with FIDE the moment Kirsan came up with his $20 million speech. A couple of comments from Kasparov a few days ago seemed to indicate that as well:

October 3 just after the election results:

Tarjei J Svensen "Will be looking forward to hear Kasparov's thoughts about having a guy who has close connections to Putin running FIDE."

Kasparov replied "This is new? Have you already forgotten who was in charge of FIDE for over 20 years?! And Makro stuck with Agon, a corrupt, Kremlin-controlled vehicle."

Then he followed up with " I'll continue my work promoting chess with the Kasparov Chess Foundation & Saint Louis Chess Club. If a new FIDE regime wants to help chess, not hurt, great. But it's not my problem. I took my shot with FIDE four years ago."

[JustinHorton]

.

I never got the impression that Kasparov was that interested in the Presidential election, I think he was done and dusted with FIDE the moment Kirsan came up with his $20 million speech.

There's no reason to believe that speech changed anything or has anything to do with anything, is there?

.

A couple of comments from Kasparov a few days ago seemed to indicate that as well

They do if you take them at face value. I don't see any reason to do that: the change in attitude is too abrupt and too recent.

[NickFaulks]

There's no reason to believe that speech changed anything or has anything to do with anything, is there?

This is ancient history, but I thought everyone viewed this as a joke, I'll see your ten and raise you ten. However, it is claimed in some quarters that there were delegates who took this seriously. They would have had to be very naive.

[Michael Farthing]

I'll raise your naive one and bid naïve

[Chris Rice]

There's no reason to believe that speech changed anything or has anything to do with anything, is there?

This is ancient history, but I thought everyone viewed this as a joke, I'll see your ten and raise you ten. However, it is claimed in some quarters that there were delegates who took this seriously. They would have had to be very naive.

I agree that what Kirsan said at the time was viewed as a joke. Basically Makro was confirming a few days ago that Kirsan saw Kasparov's $10 million bid backed by Rex Sinquefield as BS and he doubled down on it. Even though Sinquefield did indeed have the resources to back Kasparov, clearly the perception was that many still thought it was BS. Rex Sinquefield wanted nothing to do with FIDE after that and I believe that was Kasparov's attitude. Kasparov had lost all credibility. Imagine, at one point Kasparov thought he was significant enough to be considered as a potential Russian President and the next he can't even get to be head of a sports body in a sport where he was arguably the greatest player that ever played the game. To be trounced by an alien abductee must have been utterly humiliating for him.
There may be some Kasparov hangers on that wanted revenge by electing Dvorkovich but I don't think Kasparov will have had any interest at all....unless someone suggests setting up an alternative to FIDE. He may be interested then. However, at the moment I think we're all still waiting on what Dvorkovich will do. He has already brought a successful football World Cup to fruition. Will he produce a brave new world for chess or will it be the same old crap we got used to under Kirsan?

[JustinHorton]

There may be some Kasparov hangers on that wanted revenge by electing Dvorkovich but I don't think Kasparov will have any interest at all

That's one interpretation, but it's not so easily squared with the two phenomena of

(a) Kasparov banging on about Putin all day every day ; and yet
(b) Kasparov's supporters apparently backing Putin's candidate.

So maybe it's just a great big sulk, and that's why he and his sidekick are ignoring it. He's got it in him to behave like that, I'm sure. But it doesn't really strike me as the most plausible explanation.

[NickFaulks]

But it doesn't really strike me as the most plausible explanation.

Maybe he's just painted himself into a corner and has nowhere to go. The ECF now faces that problem.

[David Sedgwick]

He identified these people as:

• Michael Khodarkovsky (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in the USA)

• Graham Jurgensen (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in Africa)

• Essis Essoh (who he says was Kasparov's candidate for Africa)

Now obviously Urosevic is by no means a neutral observer in this campaign, nor an uncontroversial individual. I'm also aware that people change sides in FIDE politics, and that just because somebody may work for Garry Kasparov or his Foundation, that doesn't mean they are always his to command.

But what Urosevic says is interesting nonetheless. So what I'd like to know, not least because I'm not entirely familiar with the dramatis personae, is:

• Does Urosevic identify these people correctly?

• Were they campaigning for Dvorkovich in Batumi?

Fundamentally I'm looking for accurate information rather than speculation: knowing who is connected to whom, in what way, and who did what for whom might be important here.

I know the first two reasonably well. Both are members of the Grand Chess Tour Advisory Board and I am the GCT Chief Arbiter.

I met Essoh Essis (note that Essoh is his first name and Essis his surname) for the first time in Batumi.

"Michael Khodarkovsky (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in the USA)"
Correct to the best of my knowledge.

"Graham Jurgensen (who he says is head of the Kasparov Foundation in Africa)"
Correct to my certain knowledge.

"Essis Essoh (who he says was Kasparov's candidate for Africa)"

Not quite correct. Essis is a close ally of Olalekan Adeyemi, who was the pro-Kasparov candidate for the African Chess Confederation Presidency in 2014 and lost to the pro-Ilyumzhinov Lewis Ncube.

This time round Adeyemi was on Short's ticket and, like Short himself and fellow ticket member Lukasz Turlez, he is now a FIDE Vice-President.

My perspective is that Khodarkovsky, Jurgensen and Essis were all Short supporters who followed Short's lead in switching their support to Dvorkovich. Essis's candidacy for the African Chess Confederation Presidency was endorsed by Short early on, but a few days before the elections Essis formally declared for Dvorkovich. On the day of the vote, Tshepo Sitale (the pro-Makropoulos cndidate, who stood no chance) withdrew in Essis's favour, but nevertheless the incumbent, Ncube, narrowly won in pehaps the biggest shock of the elections.

I wasn't close enough to the action to be able to say whether either Khodarkosky or Jurgensen was actively campaigning for Dvorkovich. I do know that Jurgensen told me that he was concentrating on the African election (which of course went wrong for him).

Even if Khodarkosky and Jurgensen were campaigning for Dvorkovich, it doesn't follow that Garry Kasparov endorsed their actions. Malcolm Pein is also involved with the Kasparov Chess Foundation and a member of the GCT Advisory Board. That doesn't make Kasparov a Makropoulos supporter.

This brings me back to my post of 30th June, following the announcement that Bachar Kouatly was to be Dvorkovich's candidate for Deputy President.

Grand Chess Tour personnel, previously split two ways, are now split three ways.

As the Chief Arbiter of the said Tour, my position is one of strict neutrality.

Hence. breaking the habit of a lifetime, I am seeking to refrain from expressing my opinion on these threads.