Kasparov vs Ilyumzhinov: the FIDE Presidency battle begins

[Roger de Coverly]

The less funny side of this is that federations have been given a written guide to the sort of money they might expect to be able to negotiate in bribes, should they be so inclined. This is a retrograde step.

Leong has been asked to resign.

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... tary-.html

I liked the bit about "damaging the image of our organisation". Perhaps Kirsan should consider writing the same letter to himself .

It's an intrinsic feature of the FIDE voting process, that small numbers of people have disproportionate influence. The potential for corrupt practices can never be far away.

(edit) Copies of the signed documents have appeared on the Kasparov campaign site. As far as I can see, they confirm the original New York Times story as being a "money for votes" agreement.
http://kasparov2014.com/wp-content/uplo ... 052013.pdf
(/edit)

[Angus French]

....
(edit) Copies of the signed documents have appeared on the Kasparov campaign site. As far as I can see, they confirm the original New York Times story as being a "money for votes" agreement.
http://kasparov2014.com/wp-content/uplo ... 052013.pdf
(/edit)

http://kasparov2014.com/2014/01/24/news ... -comments/ has a News Release and copies of two agreements: the first agreement is between Garry Kasparov and Ignatius Leong (this is the one Roger has provided a link for) and; the second is between two Kasparov Chess Foundation organisations. It's not clear to me how the two agreements are related.

The first agreement, in addition to providing payment (4 x $250,000) in exchange for (a minimum of "10 + 1") votes, states that Leong will be General Secretary on the Kasparov ticket.

I've seen another copy of the first agreement. I have no idea of its provenance but it had a clause which doesn't seem to be in the version on the Kasparov site: about a campaign budget payable to Leong of $100,000.

I wonder:
1) Have any payments already been made (if they have then on what dates);
2) Do agreements exist between GK/KCF and other parties – e.g. to the secure votes of other NGBs?

The claim on the Kasparov site about transparency is ridiculous.

[Mike Truran]

That it should come to this! A plague on both their houses.

[David Robertson]

That it should come to this! A plague on both their houses.

Yes, yes. But which plague? I know about visitations of plague. Quality MBAs these days use the plague as an exercise in crisis management.

You can pursue the matter HERE (excellent) or HERE (pretty good) or HERE (detailed)

There are three kinds of plague, all expressions of Yersinia pestis (Y.pestis). You can't be too careful in which one you would visit upon the relevant houses:

* Bubonic: large buboes (egg-like swellings) develop in the armpits & groin, causing excruciating pain over six days before bursting, and knocking you firmly on the head. Mortality rate: >60%

* Pneumonic: violent coughing fits before drowning after three days with a volley of blood-stained sputum. Mortality rate: >90%

* Septacaemic: something of a blessing! Infects the blood, and kills within an hour. Mortality rate: 100%

So, Mike, the choice is yours

[John McKenna]

Above is a rare thing in these latter degenerate days - a brace of posts from the (now) disillusioned duo of forum seers - Mike & Dave!

I fear that Mike has been too influenced by how low standards have fallen since Fridrik (Olafsson) was succeeded by Florencio (Campomanes) as president of FIDE in 1982. If the opaque Kirsan is unseated by the opalescent Garry this could be a sign that an East-West demi-paradise is not completely lost and some kind of democratic progress within FIDE is again possible!

(Dave may have been too influenced by the word 'plague' and overlooked the small but significant difference between a preceding definite or indefinite article. "A plague on both your houses" could be meant in a Old Testament sense, i.e. one of frogs, lice, flies, murrain, boils, hail or locusts - the seven biblical plagues visited on the Egyptians. When he offers Mike a choice of bubonic/pneumonic/septacaemic plague he is offering a variety of what is now know as the plague and not one of the different kinds intended in the Shakespearian quote?)

[Mike Truran]

Indeed. I fear that Dave 'Reductionist' Robertson may have been a little trigger-happy in his wanton confusion of articles. Is it the case, by the way, that the phrase originated with Shakespeare?

'Kasparov' and 'opalescent'? Unlikely bedfellows.

[PeterFarr]

Is it the case, by the way, that the phrase originated with Shakespeare?

Yes, the houses being the Montagues and Capulets; though if you want a story of betrayal, revenge and corruption, FIDE is more fertile territory than Romeo and Juliet, which is rather poorly supplied with villains.

[Roger de Coverly]

There's more of this on twitter with chessninja speaking for the Kasparov camp and MarkTWIC, AngusJFrench and yes GiddinsSteve asking the questions.

But as suggested, the opinions of the thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions even, who play chess aren't relevant, what matters are the opinions of the voters, less than two hundred, in the actual election.

[NickFaulks]

But as suggested, the opinions of the thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions even, who play chess aren't relevant, what matters are the opinions of the voters, less than two hundred, in the actual election.

Didn't you explain earlier how the opinions of fifteen thousand English players percolate democratically upwards and are distilled into the final vote of the ECF delegate ( sometimes aka Garry Kasparov )?

[Roger de Coverly]

Didn't you explain earlier how the opinions of fifteen thousand English players percolate democratically upwards and are distilled into the final vote of the ECF delegate ( sometimes aka Garry Kasparov )?

I'm not holding my breath, but I would suspect that Nigel will pay some attention at least to the opinions of the ECF Directors and that the ECF Directors will note the views of the voting membership on the ECF Council who in turn will be aware that they are answerable to local AGMs.


Remind me how many active internationally rated players there are in Bermuda. Is it 3 or 4?

(edit) I'm overestimating, it's actually just two (/edit)
http://ratings.fide.com/topfed.phtml?to ... ountry=BER

If Kirsan can force the resignation of Leong, that is a positive result from the Kasparov candidacy

[John McKenna]

Mike Truran>'Kasparov' and 'opalescent'? Unlikely bedfellows.<

Mike, you could think about the proper noun Kasparov and the adjective opalescent intrinsically rather than extrinsically - Garry full of the milk of human kindness.( Kirsan, however, being a Buddhist may not even drink kumis.)

RdC>Remind me how many active internationally rated players there are in Bermuda. Is it 3 or 4?<

No matter, I say, as long as none of them are 'villains'. Roger seems to estimate the number of potential FIDE voter-villains at about 50 out of a cast of 200. That would make PeterFarr correct in saying that there is more scope for the quantity of villains in FIDE, than in an Elizabethan tragedy, if not the quality of the villainy.

(Surprised to hear that Crowther, Mark plus French, Angus AND Giddins, Steve were all tweeting away at GK's rep. GS used to shun flocks when he soared like a termite-mound-seeking condor thru' the blogosphere!)

[Roger de Coverly]

Roger seems to estimate the number of potential FIDE voter-villains at about 50 out of a cast of 200.

The voting in favour of the ex-President of Kalmykia has been a fairly consistent 95 v 55. If you translate that into players it's probably 10 v 90.

[John McKenna]

Roger seems to estimate the number of potential FIDE voter-villains at about 50 out of a cast of 200.

The voting in favour of the ex-President of Kalmykia has been a fairly consistent 95 v 55. If you translate that into players it's probably 10 v 90.

I kind of got the gist of the above numbers game that Roger & Nick are engaged in but the last submission has nonplussed me. While awaiting Prof. 'Reductionist' - David Robertson - to give me a broadside for my verbal presumption I could try to come up with a formula that transmutes votes into players and vice-versa, but I fear that might be beyond even Mr Stochastic - Alex H.

(Time to go - my battery is very low.)

[Roger de Coverly]

I could try to come up with a formula that transmutes votes into players and vice-versa, but I fear that might be beyond even Mr Stochastic - Alex H.

You don't know who votes where but a general observation of the last two elections is that the support for the challenger came from the larger Federations whereas the support for the incumbent came from the smaller Federations. If you can barely muster 10 rated players that shouldn't count for much against the several thousand that some European Federations can claim.

[JustinHorton]

Well yes, except that this assumes that the players themselves in any given country would line up solidly behind one candidate or another.

Incidentally I do wonder whether, if you weighted countries' votes according to their number of registered players, this wouldn't lead to a certain amount of jiggery-pokery involving the registration of players. What do you reckon?