– The manager of Kasparov was acting as one of the personages of your favorite book. Of course, he has a great experience, he is a professional, this is his business. By the way, one famous chess professional during the Wijk aan Zee tournament expressed such an assumption: the match Kasparov-Kasimdzhanov is easily predictable regarding its result, that is why it was difficult to find money for this match. If the match was worth less than a million, let’s say, 300, 000 USD, then it had been much easier to organize it. Do you agree with this?
– If we had lowered the level for the World Championship match, then it would affect eventually all the chess players. It was out of the question. Then, I would not insist on saying that the match was so easily predictable. Nobody argues, Kasparov is a favourite, but in Tripoli Kasimdzhanov had not been one, but as a result, won over all the super elite players – Ivanchuk, Grischuk, Topalov, Adams. Kasimdzhanov is a good fighter, he was preparing very well to the match against Kasparov, so the result of the match is not 100% predictable. So the match evaluation by your professional does not stand any criticism. Also, because the Turkish government was ready to organize this match and was ready to give one and a half million USD for it.
– Were the Turks really ready to give this money?
– Yes, we have a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Turkey, where he declares that his country is ready to organize the match and gives the amount, afore-mentioned by me.
– Why did this fail?
– The Manager of Kasparov and in this case demanded a certain guarantee amount. The top officials of Turkey replied to me about this: they organize a lot of sport events of the high level and never pay to the sportsmen before the start of the event. They do not want to make an exception to the chess players.
– Please tell, Mr. Ilyumzhinov, have you managed to maintain good relations with Kasparov even after his open letter?
– I have not quarreled with Garry, and have noteven had an argument with him. It is his position, what to do.
– V. Kramnik told me in Wijk aan Zee that Kasparov personally withdrew himself from the unification process. He also expressed the opinion that Kasparov might change his attitude.
– We sent an official letter to Kasparov, where we requested him to reply in writing to one question: what doesn’t he want – to play with Kasimdzhanov in this April or to participate in the World Championship at all. So far Garry has not replied to this letter.
– As far as I know, you usually communicated with Kasparov by mobile phones. You could have asked this directly on the phone.
– Yes, we did talk a lot, sometimes, several times a day on the phone. But this is a special case. It was Kasparov who wrote an open letter to FIDE. Let him reply in writing.
– In other words, FIDE has decided to leave for all of us some hope, that Garry might change his mind and agree to play the match during other dates?
– Please be careful: neither Turkish organizers, nor FIDE is in a hurry to make definite declarations. We want Garry to play. – That is maybe why Kasimdzhanov refused to make any comments when I called his house in January. – Of course. Kasimdzhanov knows that we have sent a letter to Kasparov. He is ready to play in any case, as it seems to me.
– I confess I was under the impression that the Turkish Organisers gave money just in case Kasparov will participate.
– Kasparov of course is a cult figure in chess, but the Government of Turkey was giving money for the World Championship.
– Is it true that there is a plan according to which Kasparov can be replaced in the match with Kasimdzhanov by somebody else, e.g. V. Anand?
– This will be decided at the FIDE Presidential Board in Tbilisi, 26-27 February 2005. Please call me during these dates and you will know the latest news from the meeting room.
– Thanks. I will be glad to be the first to inform my audience. But let’s move further. During the Wijk aan Zee tournament many chess players were expressing their opinion that the Prague Agreement had seen its end. From our discussion it is clear to me that it is too early to bury it.
– Maybe it would be to somebody’s advantage to bury the Prague Agreement. However, we do not deny our signature under it. Chess world needs one World Champion. It is for all chess players, and then it will be easier to speak with sponsors, easier to find money for the matches and tournaments. I am looking into the future optimistically. And I see a united World Champion in this future.
Kommersant, a Moscow newspaper, contacted Kasparov and received the answer that he still has no intentions to participate in the reunification cycle. He had seen his match against the previous champion Ruslan Ponomariov cancelled twice, then moved to Lebanon. Finally Ilyumzhinov officially announced Dubai as the venue for the event, naming a prize fund of $1.25. However, remembering the failure of matches with Ponomarev, Kasparov insisted on financial guarantees this time. As this was not forthcoming he sent an open letter to the FIDE General Assembly in October proposing an alternate solution to the problem. The Turkish Chess Federation was willing to provide the identical conditions for the Kasparov-Kasimdzhanov match. However the plan was not even considered at the time. FIDE returned to it only when it became obvious that the Dubai match would not happen.
However, this time Kasparov did not want to take any more chances. He cites the enormous “financial and psychological damage,” which he has suffered because of the continuous rescheduling of his matches, forcing him to withdraw from a number of super tournaments and practically depriving him of playing practice. He specified that it was “not about money or winning the title”; it was about his “disillusionment with the process and the others on which it depended.”
Kommersant suggests that Ilyumzhinov’s announcement yesterday that FIDE was raising the prize fund may be interpreted as the last attempt to bring Kasparov back to the FIDE cycle. Ilyumzhinov said the 13th World Champion was sent a letter requesting his final decision regarding the match against Kasimdzhanov. FIDE president asked that the answer be given before February 26 – the Federation’s Presidential Council in Tbilisi.
Kasparov has refused to comment on these new proposals by FIDE, but his mother Klara Kasparova told Kommersant that they had been humiliated for three years, and would tolerate it no longer. If Ilyumzhinov had been really interested in returning Kasparov to FIDE cycle, he would have spoken to him directly, and with the Turkish representatives. There had been no such contact.
Kommersant: “So, it appears that the process of chess unification will go on without the World No. 1 player. However, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov seems to be prepared for that. Yesterday, he said that in case of Kasparov’s refusal other candidates will play against Kasimdzhanov – in particular, Viswanathan Anand (India) or Peter Leko (Hungary). And three countries have already offered to host the match – Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.”