Schacksnack

FIDE har haft styrelsemöte i Sofia Bulgarien den 22-23. Agendan var lång. Här följer en sammanfattning av det som styrelsen ansåg vara av allmänt intresse. Den finns på FIDE:s hemsida och är signerad Peter Rajcsanyi. Notera det sista stycket…

Concurrent with the Anand-Topalov world chess championship match, FIDE held its 2nd quarter Presidential Board meeting on April 22-23 in Sofia, Bulgaria. 
  
In his report, President Ilyumzhinov emphasized that his recent visits in Mongolia, Lebanon, Central African Republic, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam served the aim of activating chess in those countries and promoting regional co-operation. The Board accepted Central African Republic and Senegal as new provisional members of FIDE to be confirmed by the General Assembly. 
  
The Presidential Board acknowledged and supported the decision of Deputy President Makropoulos to postpone the first game of the world championship match by one day under the unusual circumstances. 
  
Among the more than 60 items on the agenda, the Presidential Board devoted special attention to the forthcoming Chess Olympiad and discussed the preparation in details. The organizer will offer free charter flights from several cities for the teams to ensure easy access to Khanty-Mansiysk. FIDE calls the attention of the federations to the strict deadline of May 20th for registration. 
  
The Presidential Board acknowledged and approved the decision of the Women Chess Commission to give the Caissa Award for the best woman player of the last year to Nadezhda Kosinsteva (Russia). The Board was also informed about the ongoing efforts of FIDE and the CNC company to promote chess and bring in new sponsorship. 
  
FIDE will be represented by a delegation at the SportAccord meeting in Dubai where FIDE will continue its effort the promote chess into the Olympic Games. 
  
Peter Rajcsanyi, PR and Marketing Director

Tidigare Världsmästaren Anatoly Karpov kommer, som Schacksnack informerat om för några dagar sedan, att vid FIDE kongressen, som skall avhållas under kommande Schack-OS i Khanty-Mansiysk, utmana nuvarande ordföranden Kirsan Ilyumzhinov om posten. Bifogar Karpovs valmanifest.

ANATOLY KARPOV FOR FIDE PRESIDENT

• A new direction requires new leadership
  International chess needs a new direction and this can only happen under new leadership. Mr Karpov wants to lead a program of unity and positive change. His great experience as a chess champion and UNICEF Ambassador make him the ideal leader to return the sport to prominence on the global stage.
• International support at every level
  Mr Karpov’s status and dedication will allow him to be an agent for unity in the chess world. He has already attracted support worldwide as well as a leadership team and advisory panel of unmatched experience and international character.
• Ending the crisis with a return to FIDE’s roots
  Chess is in crisis today because FIDE has become disconnected from its foundations: the federations and the players. Mr Karpov believes that support for our new direction must come from below, to benefit the many, not from above to benefit the few.
• Turn chess into a modern, professional sport
  Chess has great potential as a commercially viable sport. It has lagged in this development because the current FIDE administration has harmed the reputation of the sport and shown no interest or aptitude for modernization and professionalization. Mr Karpov believes chess requires leadership that understands why professionalization is essential and how to build a team to achieve it.
• The ability to unite and mobilize the community
  Chess has limitless potential and great resources among its millions of supporters and players around the world. Mr Karpov has the unique capacity to attract and lead these human resources for the benefit of chess federations and players throughout the world.

GOALS FOR A NEW FIDE

• UNITY. The FIDE motto Gens Una Sumus, “We are one family” must be taken seriously. This can be done by providing channels of communication and community among federations and players using modern technology and by keeping the FIDE leadership’s doors wide open to feedback and new ideas. FIDE cannot afford to once again ignore the needs of its members the day after the election.
• TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY. Without these elements there is no trust from potential business partners or from member federations and players. These crucial relationships cannot be built without new leadership at the top in FIDE.
• RESPONSIVENESS. This campaign and Mr Karpov’s administration will emphasize communication and responsiveness with the global chess community we serve. We want to know what the federations and their members want and need from FIDE and to create a continuous and open dialogue.
• COMMERCIALIZATION AND SPONSORSHIP. Art, science, and sport, chess is also a hugely marketable commodity. FIDE’s current administration has failed to exploit this to the benefit of member federations and players. No one knows better than Mr Karpov the great potential for chess as a professional sport. For nearly three decades he battled for the world championship in many of the world’s great capitals. FIDE must professionalize its operations in order to develop mutually beneficial ties with commercial sponsors around the world.
• GRASSROOTS GROWTH AND CONNECTIVITY. The elite events we all enjoy cannot be sustained without growth and support from the grassroots in every corner of the globe. That worldwide involvement is our most precious resource and it has been squandered for too long by FIDE’s administration. The international federation’s resources should be put to work bringing member organizations and members together to better promote the game.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• We have an ambitious agenda and we need your help to make it happen. Get involved! Individuals do not vote in the election, but you can make your voice heard to your federation to let them know why you think Anatoly Karpov should be the next FIDE President. Our official campaign website will launch in a few days and it is a great place to start:
  • See the directory to get in touch with your federation.
  • Contact our offices to share your thoughts on how we are doing and what you would like to see happen once Mr Karpov is President.

We welcome your letters and support and encourage you to share our positive message as widely as you can with other players and organizers.

Nu är det snart tid för Sveriges SF att bestämma sig för vem de tänker stödja i valet som Ordförande för FIDE under nästa mandatperiod. Valet kommer att ske under FIDE-kongressen i Khanty-Mansiysk där även Schack-OS spelas med start den 19 september.  Ett av de stora länderna – Tyskland – har i dag genom ett pressmeddelande offentliggjort att de kommer att stödja tidigare Världsmästaren Anatoly Karpov i hans försök att erhålla tillräckligt många röster för att bli nästa Ordförande.

At the beginning of October FIDE will conduct elections in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. A few weeks ago former World Champion Anatoly Karpov announced his intention to run for the FIDE Presidency. The President of the German Chess Federation Robert von Weizsäcker has warmly welcomed this decision and has officially nominated Anatoly Karpov as a candidate. This is possible according to the laws of FIDE, since the former World Champion has been a member of the [German chess club] Schachvereinigung 1930 Hockenheim since 1994, which automatically makes him a member of the German Chess federation.

Nils Grandelius tilldelades det andra stipendiet ur Rolf Martens stipendiefond. 

16-årige Nils Grandelius, Dalby, fick liksom förra året 25 000 kronor ur Martensfonden. Enligt statuterna är stipendiet avsett att premiera yngre schackspelare för föredömlig och kvalificerad insats där engagemang, glädje, gemenskap, hänsyn och solidaritet är naturliga inslag i den schackliga verksamheten. Juryn hade ett lätt val, någon egentlig motkandidat fanns inte. 

Grandelius är landets främsta schacktalang sedan Ulf Andersson och Pia Cramling kom in i världseliten för mer än ett kvartssekel sedan. Bland spelare födda 1993 ligger han femma på Världsschackförbundets ratinglista den 1 januari. De fyra som ligger före kommer från Filippinerna, Indien, Ryssland och Ukraina. Svensken som alltså är bäst bland jämnåriga i västvärlden har två stormästarnormer av tre erforderliga – närmaste målet är naturligtvis en tredje norm, som ger inbjudningar, startbidrag och möjlighet till prispengar i de större turneringarna. 

I dagarna åker Nils till Island för att spela i Reykjavik Open och i den isländska ligan. Längre fram i år väntar finalspelet på bord 1 för LASK i Elitserien, Sigemanturneringen i Malmö och sommarens SM på Victoriastadion i Lund. 

Rolf Martens [1942-2008] blev svensk mästare i schack 1967. Han bidrog starkt till Lunds Akademiska Schackklubbs dominans i schackallsvenskan under 1960-talet. Martens var en karismatisk och unik schackbegåvning som spåddes en lysande karriär, men upphörde med tävlandet omkring 1970. Under de senaste åren gjorde han sig känd genom spelöppningsteoretisk forskning  på hög  nivå.  

Ytterligare info: Calle Erlandsson (ordförande i fondstyrelsen) 0733 – 264 033 

Fakta om LASK: Klubben bildades den 30 oktober 1906. LASK var länge en student­klubb, temporärt inaktiv, men har de senaste 30 åren haft en bred ungdomsverksamhet. Klubben är en av Sveriges mest framgångsrika schackföreningar genom tiderna och har bland annat vunnit åtta lag-SM-guld. 1975/76 nådde föreningen sin största internationella framgång med avancemang till semifinal i Europacupen. LASK har Elitseriens yngsta lag, som för närvarande ligger på tredje plats.

 Från förbundssekreteraren i Stockholms SF – Jonas Sandbom - har Schacksnack erhållit följande informattion.

På Stockholms Schackförbunds höstkongress 2009-12-16 avgick Stockholms
Schackförbunds mångåriga kassör, Gunnar Berg. Kongressen utsåg på förslag av
Stockholms Schackförbunds ordförande, Sven-Gunnar Samuelsson, Gunnar Berg
till hedersledamot i Stockholms Schackförbund.

Härmed följer ett idéförslag från Scandinavian Chess Tournament (SCT): 
Årligen återkommer i Globen en magnifik idrottsgala med representanter från näringslivet, politiska partier och en stor mängd idrottsföreningar. Arrangemanget får stor bevakning av media. 
Schacksverige är en stor organisation: Sveriges Schackförbund, Schackakademien, Rilton kommittén, Kulturhistoriska Sällskapet, Sveriges handikappade och Synskadades Riksförbund, (SCT) etc… De flesta av dessa delar ut stipendier och utmärkelser till framstående spelare, ledare och till dem som har gjort sig förtjänta av detta efter stora insatser för schacket. 

Vårt förslag är att anordna en Stor Schackgala 2011! 
Under arrangemanget skulle samtliga ovannämnda dela ut utmärkelser, priser och stipendier vid ett och samma tillfälle. Denna gala bör anordnas efter SM som följs av en kongress och på kvällen avslutning med middag, orkester och mediebevakning. 

Som hedersgäster skall inbjudas FIDE representanter, samtliga nordiska och baltiska schackförbund (kanske några vill göra efter!!!) och samtliga klubbar i Sverige så att en stor uppslutning äger rum. Självklart skall de flesta vara betalande gäster. 

Vi tror på idén, som kan väcka uppmärksamhet bland passiva schackspelare och övriga svenska medborgare. 

Hälsningar Peter Hlawatsch, SCT

FIDE har hållit kongress i Grekland. Det fanns mer än 90 punkter på dagordningen. Organisationen har släppt ett pressmeddelande och av detta framgår det bland annat att FIDE har stängt sitt kontor i Lausanne i Schweiz. Det var kontoret som öppnades med motiveringen att FIDE ville vara nära IOC för att lättare kunna bearbeta dem för att komma med i den riktiga olympiska familjen. Det nya kontoret kommer att lokaliseras till Moskva. Nästa schackolympiad kommer att hållas den 19 september – 4 oktober 2010 i Khanty-Mansiysk .

Celebrating the 85^th anniversary of FIDE, the Executive Board held its meeting in Kallithea at the invitation of the Greek Chess Federation on October 15-17^th, 2009.

On the agenda, there were more than 90 items, including the Chess Olympiad 2010, World Championships, the new Commission and Committee structure, reports of the Commissions’ chairs as well as the Grand Prix and the World Cup tournaments.

In his report, President Ilyumzhinov emphasized the continuing goals of popularizing chess all over the world and further steps toward IOC. He also praised the organization of events, particularly in China and in Nalchik.

The Executive Board discussed and approved the framework contract with Chess Lane which will initiate new projects of development for FIDE, starting with the formation of Chess News Corporation. FIDE will open a new office in Moscow and has closed its office in Lausanne.

For the Anand-Topalov World Championship Match, three bidders -Turkey, Singapore and Bulgaria- submitted offers. The most qualified and highest prize value bid arrived from Bulgaria. When Turkey and Singapore withdrew their proposals, the EB awarded the World Championship Match to Bulgaria to be held in April, 2010. Half the Candidate Matches have been awarded to Azerbaijan.

The 2009 World Cup will be held in Khanty – Mansiysk, Russia, from November 20th to December 15^th. The EB were advised that the prize fund has been received by FIDE.

The EB approved the 2010 FIDE Calendar and fixed the dates of the Chess Olympiad as September 19- October 4, 2010. The EB was briefed about the latest developments of the facilities and the preparation for the Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk by the organizer. The 2011 Congress will be held in Krakow, Poland while Turkey will organize the 2012 Olympiad and Congress. Venues and dates of other FIDE awarded events can be found under the Calendar section of the FIDE website.

Peter Rajcsanyi
PR and Marketing Director

The FIDE Presidential Board (PB) meeting with an agenda of more than 70 items was held on June 16-17^th in Krakow, Poland.

FIDE President, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov praised recent events such as the first Women Grand Prix held in Istanbul and the Men’s Grand Prix organized in Nalchik as successful events. He discussed his visit and negotiations in Mongolia: there is a chess in school program and a Women Grand Prix tournament in Ulan Bator. He also positively acknowledged the strengthening relationship between FIDE and SportAccord

Following the President’s negotiations with the Russian government authorities, the PB decided to open a FIDE branch office in Moscow. The PB put in motion a plan to ensure that a Calendar for chess events should be put in place with measure to ensure adherence.

The PB acknowledged and discussed the proposal of David Kaplan, FIDE Development CEO, about the establishment of a new Internet portal centered around chess activities and the creation of a Chess News Agency. In relation to these developments, FIDE will enter into negotiation with Chess Lane company.

The PB made a decision to promote the activities of the FIDE Chess Academy system by franchising academies throughout the world, based on the model of the Singapore Chess Academy.

The PB accepted the new regulations for the World Championship Candidate matches. In connection with the World Championship cycle, the PB emphasized that the continuation of the Grand Prix series can be approved only if all the contracts with the organizers of the 2010-11 GP events will be in place for approval before the Executive Board meeting to be held in October 2009. Otherwise, the GP series shall be eliminated from the cycle.

The PB decided that beyond the regular activities, FIDE Public Relations should be conducted more by the implementation of target-oriented projects in the future.

Following the recommendation of a meeting of experts, the PB decided to refer the K factor change back to the Committee with further studies to clarify all aspects and consequences of a possible change as the recommendation was not to change the K factor now.

The PB discussed several future events and decided upon the bid dates which will be published on the FIDE website.

Ms. Boytsun, General Secretary of ACP, made a presentation of the work of ACP and the channels of co-operation between FIDE and ACP.

The FIDE President thanked the Malopolska Chess Federation and especially to Mr. Jan Kushina for the excellent organization of the event.

Peter Rajcsanyi

Public Relations and Marketing Director

Gm Alexei Shirov

Det är några månader kvar till dess finalen i Grand Slam skall spelas i Bilbao i Spanien. Men redan har arrangören skickat ut ett pressmeddelande om vad som komma skall. Deltagarna är Veselin Topalov, Sergei Karjakin, Alexander Grischuk och Alexei Shirov. Precis som förra året och under Mtel Masters i år kommer deltagarna att spela i en glaskub som placeras på en central plats i stan. Det är också en annan poängberäkning än vanligt. 3 poäng för vinst, 1 för remi och 0 för förlust är vad som kommer att praktiseras.  

Press Release from the Grand Slam Chess Association

The Spanish chess player Alexei Shirov has received the invitation from the Grand Slam Chess Association to take part in the Masters Final that will be held in Bilbao during the first fortnight of September 2009.

He has been invited as winner of the recently finished M-Tel Masters Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria. He received his invitation at the closing ceremony from Juan Carlos Fernández, Director of the Bilbao Masters Final.

Shirov will come up against Veselin Topalov – winner in Pearl Spring Tournament, Nanking, China, Sergei Kariakin – winner of Corus 2009, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands and Alexander Grischuk, winner of Ciudad de Linares, Spain, who have already received their invitations to the Final in Bilbao.

The above mentioned four chess players will compete in Bilbao, once again in the huge glass cube that will be built in Plaza Nueva (central square), in the heart of the city. The Masters Final supports interesting and novel rules in order to guarantee a battle and spectacle in each game. The so called named ‘Sofia rule’ which states that draw offers will only be allowed by the arbiter, will be applied.

The scoring system will be once again similar to football scoring system:

Players will get 3 points for winning a match, 1 point for drawing and 0 points for losing. This scoring system was first applied in an elite chess tournament during the last Bilbao Final Masters 2008, and is known as ‘Bilbao rule’.

The Grand Slam is made up of the following tournaments: the Pearl Spring Tournament (Nanjing, China), the Corus (Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands), the Ciudad de Linares (Spain), the Mtel Masters (Sofia, Bulgaria) and the Masters Final that will be held in Bilbao, Spain.

Alexei Shirov is a Spanish national, born in Riga, Latvia in 1972. After his win in Sofia he is ranked 5th in the world. Shirov is noted for his attacking style and he has pointed out that aggressiveness is an essential feature of his playing style. He has been called ”the last romantic chess player”, or the ”Leonardo da Vinci” of chess, thanks to his creative style along with the risks he takes while playing. In 2000, Teheran, he reached the final of the FIDE World Chess Championship, losing to Viswanathan Anand. In 2007 he played in the Chess World Cup 2007, but he lost the final to Gata Kamsky.

Grandmaster Alexander Grischuk was born in 1983 in Russia. Along with being a very talented young player, Grischuk is also known as one of the best blitz chess players, taking him on to win the 2006 World Blitz Championship in Israel.

Sergey Karjakin, born in Ukraine in 1990, holds the record for the youngest grandmaster in history, achieving the title at the age of twelve years and seven months. In 2004 he was in Bilbao as player in the Man vs. Machine World Team Championship.

Karjakin, who was then 14, was the only human to win against a computer. In 2007 he played the Blindfold World Chess Cup again in Bilbao. He is a very talented player who guarantees a splendour future for himself, not only for his great command of tactics but also for his gift for strategy, a rare thing in children. It is for this reason that the pools for future World Champion always include Karjakin.

Veselin Topalov (born in Bulgaria in 1975) is a modest and very nice person, a fighter and disciplined into training every day and strives to maintain his correct demeanour. Topalov became the FIDE World Chess Champion in 2005. As the current highest ranked player in the World, he is adamant about achieving the title in the final that he will face against Anand.

Next September in Bilbao, he will try to repeat his win of the Final Masters 2008. Veselin is a familiar face in Bilbao, his presence as player is habitual in the great chess events of the city in the last years.

Bilbao, June 4th, 2009

FIDE har med anledning av utvecklingen av Svininfluensan (H1N1) valt att gå ut med information från – International SOS - om råd inför till exempel resor. Länken till sidan är bifogad och den kommer att uppdateras kontinuerligt av SOS.

In response to the latest developments surrounding the swine flu outbreak, International SOS has launched a special website

Latest information and travel advice for international travel. The website will be continuously updated.
You’ll find the:
• Latest information on the outbreaks
• Latest travel advice
• FAQs: Such as ”Should I travel to Mexico or the US?” ”An employee has just returned from Mexico. Should they return to work?” ”Should an employee take antiviral medication (Tamiflu) with them when travelling to Mexico?”
Links to Resources: Download documents and posters on personal hygiene and influenza vaccination.