(30th April, 2006) – Issue #18 First Ever Semi-monthly Online e-Zine in English and Spanish Patrons: GM Rashid Ziyatdinov Around the Globe by FM Eric Schiller Lev Khariton Women’s World Championship by GM Susan Polgar Editor-in-chief: Champions Match by IM Maslak Konstantin Senior NM Anwar Qureshi The Fundamentals by IM Cyrus Lakdawala Ivanchuk Palace by GM Vassily Ivanchuk Editors: Jerome Bibuld (English) Learn from the Masters, games by GM Aleksandr Moiseenko & CC-GM Roberto Alvarez (Spanish) GM Zviad Izoria Understand Chess by GM Victor Gavrikov Managing Editors: Upsurge in the Open Spanish by IM Larry Kaufman GM Vladimir Dobrov Strategy and Practice by GM Dejan Antic Goran Tomic Executive Editors: Abdul Karim Grandmasters in our mailing list: Peter Svidler; Alexey Dreev; James F. Holwell Baadur Jobava; Alexander Motylev; Shakhriyar Mamedyarov; Zviad Izoria; Pentala Harikrishna; Ahmed Adly; Arkadij Translators: Naiditsch; Surya Sekhar Ganguly; Sergey Tiviakov; Pavel GM Sergey Tivakov Eljanov; Gadir Guseinov; Polish Champion, Mateusz Bartel; CC-GM Roberto Alvarez Krishnan Sasikiran & Tigran Nalbandian, (Kramnik's second.) FM Eric Schiller Photographer: FIDE Election 2006 Frits Agterdenbos Contact e-mails: English: [email protected] Spanish: [email protected] We offer! "Special yearly price $45.00 24 issues ($1.88/issue) ? Subscribe:www.chesschronicle.org The First Ever Semi-Monthly Online Chess Magazine. For subscription visit http://www.chesschronicle.org Yearly Subscription only $45.00 (24 issues, you pay only $1.88/issue) All material copyright © Chess Chronicle, unless otherwise indicated. Around the Globe FM Eric Schiller World Championship Reunification Match At long last the world championship situation will be settled over the board as Vladimir Kramnik and bustling Veselin Topalov have agreed to play a match under FIDE auspices for $1.2 million and the title of World Chess Champion. The 12-game match will be played from September 21st through October 13th in Elista, Russia. Games will be played on September 23rd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 29th, 30th, October 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th (tie-breaks), 2006. The prize fund will be divided equally, regardless of who wins the match. Official word came from FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who issued the following release on April 13, which is, incidentally, Garry Kasparov's birthday: Al Ain City, 13 April 2006 This great match will undoubtedly end any Dear chess friends, confusion about the World Championship status after the unfortunate schism which Today is a historic day for our sport! After occurred in 1993. In the beginning of my first months of consultations with both players, I term as FIDE President, back in 1995, I am pleased to announce that the World promised to work for unity within FIDE in all Championship match Topalov vs. Kramnik aspects. As for the World Championship title, will be held 21 September - 13 October 2006 it was not easy to satisfy all demands of the in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia. Both involved parties during all these years but we players and their managers have agreed with always kept our principles and actions within all the technical details of the match, which the true spirit of our motto GENS UNA will consist of 12 games, and the prize fund SUMUS. Today our efforts have been will be a guaranteed minimum amount of 1 justified! million US dollars. We are all looking forward to this great event, the World Chess Championship Match 2006. I would like to stress once more that we shall Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (© Frits Agterdenbos) definitely continue to work for a strong and The First Ever Semi-Monthly Online Chess Magazine. http://www.chesschronicle.org Yearly Subscription only $45.00 (24 issues, you pay only $1.88/issue) All material copyright © Chess Chronicle, unless otherwise indicated - 2 - united FIDE. As we have already done for the asking me to comment on the recently past 10 years. announced match between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik. I was aware that Joel May the best player win! Lautier had been working on this and I must Kirsan Ilyumzhinov thank him and anybody else who worked hard FIDE President for this reunification match. The players have agreed to commit to the latest My initial reaction was of great joy for the version of FIDE's annual championship tournament, players as well as for the whole chess world! to which the winner of the match will be invited. At long last the possibility exists for a match That event will take place in 2007 in Mexico, which to be played, thereby resolving the split that recently stepped up its presence in international has been in force for the eleven year duration chess by hosting the first half of the Linares super of Ilyumzhinov’s administration. tournament this year. The format will be similar to that of the championship tournament of 2005. It was four long years ago that I hosted a conference in Prague. My goal was to heal Despite his illness, Kramnik has an ambitious the split besieging the chess world and resolve schedule for the second half of this year including the impasse. The conference resulted in the the strong tournament in Dortmund in July, the Prague Agreement, that bound the parties to a match against Apollo, and a face-off with a unification match in … 2003! computer program later in the fall. After re-reading the announcement I began to worry as important details were missing. What are the conditions and rules under which this match will be played? Does the FIDE consider this to be the final outcome of the Prague Agreement? Or is this match merely a response to Ilyumzhinov’s announcement that anyone possessing a 2700 rating has the possibility to challenge the World Champion? Alternatively, is it to be a friendly match only? Further worrying concerns are raised in case Vladimir Kramnik wins the match. If the match is for the official World Championship, would he then participate in the 2007 Championships? If the answer is yes, this raises a new question: According to the rules Bessel Kok (© Frits Agterdenbos) of the current cycle, Veselin Topalov, the number one rated player would be out of the Bessel Kok, who is running against incumbent 2007 Championship. Ilyumzhinov for the FIDE presidency, issued the following statement on the reunification: Is it smart or is it stupid that the highest rated player in the world could be potentially Over the last few days, I have been flooded excluded? Wouldn’t such a circumstance put with telephone calls and electronic messages the validity of the 2007 Championship in The First Ever Semi-Monthly Online Chess Magazine. http://www.chesschronicle.org Yearly Subscription only $45.00 (24 issues, you pay only $1.88/issue) All material copyright © Chess Chronicle, unless otherwise indicated - 3 - doubt? Who is responsible for creating rules disappointing, but understandable because in the that discourage unification by excluding the modern world things do have to move along more strongest players from competing in future quickly and a number of changes have been made to Championship events? chess tournaments to reduce the time and cost of hosting events. However, it is not the wishes of the FIDE should not give the impression that the public that determine policy, and we will just have electoral gain of announcing this match to wait to see what emerges. prevails over the need for correct and The Editors of Chess Chronicle, are not adequate information, especially for the other indifferent to the politics of the FIDE top Grandmasters. Is the match to be election campaign. They also recognize the sponsored by Ilyumzhinov or another source? right of FM Schiller not only to hold a Would the match be played if I were to win position regarding the election but also his the FIDE Presidential election in Turin in right -- indeed, duty -- to express this June? Has the prize money been transferred position. However, it is necessary to state to the FIDE accounts insuring the match will that neither the position of Bessel Kok nor be played regardless of the election outcome? that of FM Schiller may be taken as expressing the position of Chess Chronicle. Once again, I am delighted that Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik can contest a match but the FIDE must communicate all New Grandmasters details of the event; address the questions This month FIDE awarded 16 players the coveted made above; confirm that the financing has title of International Grandmaster: Jurij Tihonov been properly secured; that the players have (BLR), Andrey Zhigalko (BLR), Pascal signed an agreement and last but not least that Charbonneau (CAN), Jianchao Zhou (CHN), Zoran the chess world will not suffer another Jovanovic (CRO), Davor Rogic (CRO), Viktor disappointment. Laznicka (CZE), David Arutinian (GEO), Konstantine Shanava (GEO), Peter Horvath (HUN), Bessel Kok Magesh C.Panchanathan (IND), Vasile Sanduleac (MDA), Jan Werle (NED), Constantin Lupulescu The announcement of the world championship (ROM), Sergei Krivoshey UKR), and Yaroslav unification match may have an effect on the current Zinchenko (UKR). FIDE elections. To catch up on developments in the political arena you can visit the web sites of the two slates: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: http://www.chessfidelity.com vs. Bessel Kok: http://www.rightmove06.org. I think that I share the view of many in the chess world that the reunification of the World Championship title is an important and essential step in order to restore some stability to the title itself. However, FIDE's tournament-of- the-year method of determining future champions does not sit well with anyone who believes that the world chess championship should be contested in the traditional manner involving a lengthy match. The Euro King and Queen (© Frits Agterdenbos) fact that the event this year is just 12 games is The First Ever Semi-Monthly Online Chess Magazine.