Dear chess professionals and aficionados of the game of chess! Chess is a beautiful and fascinating game that brings pleasure to millions of enthusiasts throughout the world. However, for a number of people chess is not just a favourite hobby, but also a job, a bread-winning profession. The Association of Chess Professionals is an international organization that unites these persons regardless of their nationality, age, sex, social status and other factors. The newly elected ACP Board started its work on 1 January 2012 and the organization received a powerful urge to progress. A development strategy for the ACP for the next four years was devised and I am sure that the ACP has a great future. We plan, among other things, to strengthen the position of chess professionals, to improve the cooperation of the ACP with corporate sponsors, and to intensify the dialogue between leading players and FIDE. Among the members of the new ACP Board there are not only professional chess players, but also successful managers and marketing professionals, who have wide experience of heading different projects. We have no doubt that the ACP has the skills required to reach a new level of interaction with both sponsors and organizers of tournaments, as well as with members of the ACP. We love chess and are open to new ideas. The aim of this brochure is to provide information about the activities of the Association of Chess Professionals, to give an insight into the scope and possibilities of the organization and to outline achievements of ACP members. Let me invite you to take part in the development of chess worldwide along with the Association of Chess Professionals! Yours Truly, ACP President Emil Sutovsky 3 The ACP in Brief The Association of Chess Professionals The Association of Chess Professionals was (ACP) is a not-for-profit organisation, founded in 2003. The ACP headquarters whose main purpose is the protection of are located in Paris, France. chess professionals’ rights and the practice and promotion of chess worldwide, in The annual General Assembly is the particular through the organisation of main governing body of the Association chess tournaments and other chess events. of Chess Professionals. The ACP Board coordinates ACP activities between The ACP encourages the civil engagement General Assemblies. of chess professionals, interacts with national federations, international On 1 January 2012, the newly elected ACP corporations, government agencies as Board began to work under the leadership well as other not-for-profit organizations. of the ACP President GM Emil Sutovsky Since registration, the ACP has organized (Israel). 8 tournaments with total prize fund of more than EUR 500 000. 4 ACP Members ACP members are experts in all aspects female rate amounts to 20%. of chess related activities. The world’s top players and renowned journalists, Chess players with the title of International tournament organizers and the most Master (IM, WIM) or International respected arbiters and trainers have joined Grandmaster (GM, WGM) have the right the ACP in order to make the professional to join the ACP. Chess players who do not chess world a better place. have an international title and other chess activists (trainers, arbiters, organizers, At the beginning of 2012 the ACP united teachers, chess journalists, chess clubs over 750 chess professionals from 73 presidents), but can prove that chess is countries worldwide and this number is an important part of their professional constantly increasing. Russia, Ukraine, activities are eligible to apply for ACP Germany, France, Italy, Israel and the membership, but their application is United States lead the rankings in terms subject to Board approval. of number of members. The membership Top chess players are members of the ACP World Champion GM Levon Aronian GM Boris Gelfand GM Vasyl Ivanchuk GM Viswanathan Anand (Armenia) (Israel) (Ukraine) (India) GM Vladimir Kramnik GM Hikaru Nakamura GM Judith Polgar GM Teimour Radjabov (Russia) (USA) (Hungary) (Azerbaijan) 5 The ACP Board The main governing body of the — Negotiations with FIDE, ECU, other Association of Chess Professionals is the continental chess unions, national annual General Assembly, who elects the federations; ACP Board. The ACP Board coordinates the ACP activities between the meetings of — Informational support and review of the General Assembly. requests from the ACP members; All active members of the ACP have the — Monitoring of the information field right to be elected and to vote for the and development of recommendations candidates to the ACP Board. Members for the regulatory practice improvement of the Board are in constant contact with within the chess community; each other using all possible means of communications and discuss most matters — Regular updates of the ACP Tour ratings; in writing. However, a live Board Meeting is also convened whenever required — Design and implementation of (generally on a monthly basis). opinion polls and studies for developing recommendations for organizers of All important decisions are subject to a tournaments, voting procedure. In most cases decisions are taken with a simple majority of votes; — Organisation of the General Assembly however, some crucial decisions require a meetings etc. majority of 2/3 of votes. The ACP Board is an international team that The main activities of the ACP Board consists not only of chess professionals include the following: but also successful managers with experience of heading projects both in — Creation of innovative projects for the business and civil activities. The ACP Board development of professional chess; members are united by the primary goals of the organization: to protect the rights — Management of the ACP tournaments of members of the chess community, and and their media coverage; to develop and popularize the game of chess all over the world. — Fundraising for the ACP projects; Starting from 1 January 2012, the newly — Development and implementation elected ACP Board began to work under of new projects for the popularization the leadership of the ACP President GM of chess; Emil Sutovsky (Israel). 6 The ACP Board Book of Records) and the best overall result at the 2010 Olympics. Participant in three knock-out World Championships (1997, 2000, 2001) and four FIDE World Cups (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011). Emil Sutovsky played for the Israeli team in seven World Chess Olympiads from 1996 to 2010. In the 2010 he won the Olympic gold medal, achieving the best result in the history of Chess Olympiads (TPR - 2895). Sutovsky is considered one of the most creative players of our time because of his vibrant uncompromising play style. After winning the European Championship in 2001 Sutovsky temporarily withdrew from the academic study of economics and management, focusing on his chess ACP President career. In 2007 Emil became the manager of the World Cup winner Gata Kamsky and Emil Sutovsky — got deeply involved in chess management. International Grandmaster Since 2009, Emil is a member of the FIDE World Championships and Olympiads Born 1977, based in Holon, Israel. Sutovsky is Commission. an active top-chess player for many years. In January 2012 he reached the highest ranking Emil has an extensive experience in of his career of 2708. His highest position participating at television and radio in the rankings was 17th in the world. Emil programs, is the author of over a hundred Sutovsky is the 2001 European Champion publications on the topic of chess in the as well as a winner and a prizewinner of specialized and mainstream media. He more than 100 international tournaments. speaks five languages. Besides chess, Among his most significant titles there can Sutovsky is serious about trivia games be listed: World Champion Under-20 (1996), (participated in many trivia tournaments the best overall result at the European and TV programs) and classical singing (bass Team Championship (2003), winner of the baritone). Emil Sutovsky is a member of the strongest open tournament in the history ACP Board since 2008. As of 1 January 2012 (Aeroflot 2005, inscribed in the Guinness he is the ACP President. 7 The ACP Board ACP Board Director cooperates with a major Italian law firm specializing in international company law. Yuri Garrett — International Organizer As of 2002 he is CEO at Caissa Italia, the leading Italian chess publishing company, Born 1969, based in and has organized or directed over 30 Rome. FIDE International international tournaments among which Organizer and award- the world renown Reggio Emilia round robin, winner chess author, the Rocca di Papa rapid chess tournament publisher and manager, and the Porto Mannu Open. He is a regular Yuri Garrett holds a contributor to chess magazines such as degree in Italian language Torre & Cavallo and Europe Echecs. Yuri has and culture and worked for many years as acted, among other things, as manager for professional translator, also at EU level. He acted GMs Fabiano Caruana and Daniele Vocaturo for almost a decade as Head of International and speaks four languages. Among his Affairs of one of the two official Italian other interests there are music, movies, accountancy bodies, holding seats at both sports and, as you would expect from an IFAC and FEE committees, and currently Italian, wine and food! ACP General Secretary Bartłomiej Macieja — International Grandmaster Born 1977, based in Warsaw. Grandmaster since 1999. National champion of Poland in 2004 and 2009, many times National Champion of Poland as a member of a team. European Champion 2002, 5-times Polish Players’ Council since 2003, Member European Team Vice-Champion. Participant of FIDE World Chess Championship of World Championships (1999, 2000, 2001, Committee (2005 – 2009), and a member 2004). Participant of World Cups (2002, of FIDE Rules and Tournament Regulations 2005, 2007). Highest rating: 2653, Highest Committee (2005 – 2007, since 2009). World Position: 40 (1 January 2004). Macieja Macieja was named one of “Persons of a studied Physics at Warsaw University.