Review of uscf chess::How Much Is the Cosmetology Class at Marinello
Review of uscf chess::How Much Is the Cosmetology Class at Marinello
There is an important presidential race going on, but this one doesn't involve the usual political types as candidates. Well, in a way it does. One of the candidates is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the President of the The Republic of Kalmykia, a federal subject of the Russian Federation. Ilyumzhinov is also President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Having been head of FIDE since 1995, Ilyumzhinov is seeking reelection to another term this fall. Standing in his way is a formidable candidate, Anatoly Karpov, the 12th World Chess Champion. As a chess player, Karpov's greatness is uncontested and his exploits well known. He ascended to the pinnacle of chess in 1975 when the 11th World Chess Champion, American Bobby Fischer, refused to defend his title in a dispute with organizers over the rules governing his title defense. Karpov successfully defended his title twice against Viktor Korchnoi. Karpov reigned as champion from 1975-1985, before losing his title to his greatest rival, Garry Kasparov. As archrivals, Karpov and Kasparov dueled five times for the title, with Karpov never able to wrest the title from his younger opponent. After Kasparov split with FIDE and took his crown with him to form his own Professional Chess Association, Karpov again became World Champion, holding the FIDE version of the title from 1993-1999. In addition, Karpov became the greatest tournament player in the history of chess, winning over 120 tournaments around the world. His performance at the Linares super-tournament in 1994 yielded arguably the greatest results in history. He amassed 11 of 13 points from a field that included Kasparov, future champions Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand and Veselin Topalov, as well as such noteworthy grandmasters as Alex Shirov, Judit Polgar and Gata Kamsky. But that is Karpov as a chess player. What commends him for the role of Fide president? A lot of it has to do with Ilyumzhinov himself. He has been President of FIDE for 15 years. That is long enough. It is time for new ideas and a fresh approach. He has also in 2010 made bizarre claims of having had contact with aliens. His greatest failing as president was instituting the FIDE World Championship knockout format. Under the format, a field of 128 top players paired off and engaged in two-game matches, and if the match was tied, rapid chess and blitz chess would be used to determine the winner. The field kept being cut in half until one player remained and became champion. This format had been used at other times in chess but never to determine a World Champion. As a result chess got stuck with such FIDE World Champions as Alexander Khalifman, Ruslan Ponomariov and Rustam Kasimdzhanov. These players all held the title of World Champion, but they were hardly in the class of such luminaries as Kasparov, Karpov, Fischer, Alexander Alekhine and Jose Capablanca. The knockout format strayed far from the traditions of using long tournaments and lengthy matches to crown a true champion. The knockout format was an unmitigated disaster and ruined the continuity of chess. In April 2010, the United States Chess Federation (USCF) gave its wholehearted endorsement of Karpov to become FIDE president. The USCF said: "Anatoly Karpov is one of the greatest players of all time, a chess celebrity who will greatly improve FIDE's chances of attracting quality global sponsors. Mr. Karpov is a strong supporter of traditional chess played under consistent rules. He has been active in promoting the game in the United States, and offers hope for increasing the prestige and popularity of our great game everywhere. We are pleased to endorse former World Champion Karpov for the office of President of FIDE. The world chess organization is in need of serious reform, and Karpov's candidacy represents an unusual opportunity to vastly enhance FIDE's reputation, and that of organized chess worldwide. USCF is looking forward to working closely with Karpov and his team to achieve a shared vision for chess excellence." Being a former player at the highest levels of chess, Karpov will readily understand the needs of professional chess players. His philosophy will be a break with the past and a refreshing new beginning. Over the years, Karpov has opened several Anatoly Karpov Chess Schools throughout the world, including one in Linsborg, Kansas. He has also done charity work over the last several years with the Peace Fund to help Chernobyl victims and with the Special Olympics. He has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Both candidates have been globetrotting in search of support from the various national federations. To his credit, Ilyumzhinov has invested much of his personal fortune in sponsoring and promoting chess. But for all the reasons above, it would be great for chess to have Karpov as the next FIDE president. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIDE_World_Chess_Championships_1998%E2%80%932004 ABC NEWS: ABC's Alexander Marquardt reports from Moscow: Russian Governor Tells Tale of Alien Abduction, President asked to Investigate: May 05, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsan_Ilyumzhinov http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10309/319/ Chess Life magazine |
Image of uscf chess
uscf chess Image 1
uscf chess Image 2
uscf chess Image 3
uscf chess Image 4
uscf chess Image 5
Related blog with uscf chess
Related Video with uscf chess
uscf chess Video 1
uscf chess Video 2
uscf chess Video 3
uscf chess
Labels: Chess Ratings, Chess Tournament Online, Oregon Chess Federation, Tournament Chess, US Chess Federation, USCF Chess Online, USCF Chess Rules, USCF Chess Store