exd5!

11.07.2010
– A week ago we broke
the news: tissue samples had been taken from chess champion Bobby Fischer's
grave, on the order of the Icelandic Supreme Court to settle a paternity dispute.
Most news sources reported that the body had been "exhumed", and our version
– a hole dug in the ground next to the grave – was disputed. Now the Pastor in charge of the procedure
provides clarification.

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Lubomir Ftacnik: 1.d4 - a classical repertoire for White
This DVD by Lubomir Ftacnik is an ambitious project, presenting a comprehensive set of ideas and structures in chess openings, arising after the first move 1.d4. In 34 videos (plus intro and conclusion) the author covers all 1.d4 openings - classical ones, like all Queen’s Gambit lines and the Indian defences, but also many interesting gambits, like the Benko, Blumenfeld and Budapest. The suggested choices are approved and active, but also safe for the first player. Many hours of explanations and suggestions will significantly shorten the time needed for building up a complete and workable set of opening weapons, usually called a repertoire.
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IceNews "correction"

In our version of the story on Monday we wrote:

"The exhumation was conducted under a tent by specialists, who, we are
told, did not unearth or remove the coffin. They dug a hole to the side of
the grave and from there drilled into the coffin to extract a tissue sample.
Present were Ólafur Helgi Kjartansson and Rev. Kristinn Ágúst
Fridfinnsson, the pastor of Selfoss."

The following appeared a few days later in the Nordic
IceNews web portal:

(UPDATED AND CORRECTED) American newspaper The New York Post reported yesterday
that Icelandic authorities had drilled through Bobby Fischer’s coffin
and into his body in order to take a DNA sample from the exhumed chess grand
master’s corpse. But the Selfoss district commissioner says the NYP
got it wrong.

The NYP article states that the DNA sample was taken by drilling through
Fischer’s coffin and into his body; but Olafur Helgi Kjartansson, Selfoss
District Commissioner, said: “I can confirm that that is not right.”
He says the exhumation, DNA test and re-burial were carried out with due respect,
leaving everything intact. The procedure took place in the presence of a doctor
and a priest, Visir.is reported.

(This story originally pointed to the New York Times; when it should have
been the New York Post. These are two different newspapers and IceNews apologises
to the NYT for any damage done).

The original IceNews report explicitly stated that the body was exhumed in
the traditional way and implied that the casket was removed from the grave,
opened and a tissue sample taken. After this the casket was closed and reburied.
This is the version quoted in hundreds of news stories around the world.

We asked a friend in Iceland, Einar S. Einarsson, to check what exactly the
procedure had been. Einar is the Chairman of the Icelandic RJF Committee which
was instrumental in getting Fischer Icelandic citizenship and thus enabling
his release from
Japanese detention in 2005, where he was being held at the request of US
tax authorities.

Members of the RJF Committee, from left: Gardar Sverrisson, GM Helgi Ólafsson,
Gudmundur Thorarinsson, Magnús Skulason, Sæmundur Palsson, Einar S. Einarsson

Fischer with Einar in the autumn of 2005 on the deck of his country cottage
at Skorradalur, drinking Fischer's favourite raspberry juice. The photo was
taken using a self-timer.

Last known picture of Fischer taken by Einar Einarsson
at the “3 Frakkar” gourmet fish restaurant, downtown Reykjavik.

Einar investigated the matter regarding the tissue extraction for us. In his
words the IceNews correction is "total rubbish, and must be some misinterpretation
of Mr. Kjartansson words." He spoke to Rev. Kristinn Ágúst
Friðfinnsson, the pastor who supervised the “exhumation”. Friðfinnsson
confirmed that it was in fact not a full exhumation. "They only dug down
beside the coffin and entered it from the side through a hole for the sample
needed," he said. "Everything was performed in a dignified and respectful
manner."

The result of the DNA tests should become available in about three weeks. Many
friends of Fischer believe that Jinky is not the biological daughter of Bobby,
although the American may have had an affair with her mother Marilyn Young and
supported her financially. They hope that the legal representatives of Ms Young
will not now file a claim for a full exhumation to find out whether it is Bobby
who is in that coffin or not.

Einar Einarsson apologised for the delay in his reply to our inquiry. He had
been salmon fishing in the vicinity of the Eyjafjallajökull vulcano –
which is what Icelanders do in the summer.

During his fishing excursion Einar reports the Eyjafjallajökull vulcano
"rumbled, burped and roared like thunder, three times, and big clouds of
steam arose from the caldera. You will remember that the volcano disrupted
the World Championship match in Sofia.

The rewards of an Icelandic fisherman in the Eyjafjallajökull region

• Read also: Bobby's
  Bench in the New York Times chess blog

Related ChessBase reports

Read Full Post »

10.07.2010
– The Karpov campaign for FIDE president has made good its promise to launch a court case against the FIDE administration of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who is running to retain his post. The international law firm White & Case has sent out a terse statement declaring that it is initiating a request for arbitration. What does it all mean? The New York Times has some details.

Advertisement

Lubomir Ftacnik: 1.d4 - a classical repertoire for White
This DVD by Lubomir Ftacnik is an ambitious project, presenting a comprehensive set of ideas and structures in chess openings, arising after the first move 1.d4. In 34 videos (plus intro and conclusion) the author covers all 1.d4 openings - classical ones, like all Queen’s Gambit lines and the Indian defences, but also many interesting gambits, like the Benko, Blumenfeld and Budapest. The suggested choices are approved and active, but also safe for the first player. Many hours of explanations and suggestions will significantly shorten the time needed for building up a complete and workable set of opening weapons, usually called a repertoire.
More information...

A legal move from Karpov

First, here is the entire text distributed by White & Case, which is representing
the Karpov campaign and many major chess federations in the matter.

"Pursuant to the letter of their counsel, White & Case, sent on 2 July
2010 to FIDE Executive Director David Jarrett, the national chess federations
of France, Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United States, along with
Karpov 2010, Inc., will imminently file a Request for Arbitration against
FIDE with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. In
view of confidentiality restrictions, no further information can be provided
until further notice."

No further information, but perhaps some speculation based on their recently
published demand for Ilyumzhinov's campaign documents by the same White
& Case team. It would appear that they are intent on proving that the nominations
of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov for FIDE president and of Beatriz Marinello for FIDE Vice
President are not legitimate. If the Lausanne court rules this to be the case,
it could disqualify the Ilyumzhinov
ticket completely and turn this September's FIDE election in Khanty-Mansiysk
into a one-horse race with Karpov as the only candidate. If Ms. Marinello is
disqualified that alone would disqualify the entire Ilyumzhinov ticket, since
according to the regulations one candidate must be a woman and the Chilean-born
American is the only woman on the ticket and the deadline for nominations has
passed.

Several national federations and the presidential campaign
of Anatoly Karpov filed a lawsuit against the World Chess Federation on
Thursday in the Court of
Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. The lawsuit, which was filed
by White & Case, a
Manhattan firm, is seeking to have the ticket of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the incumbent
who is running for re-election, disqualified.

The lawsuit, which includes the chess federations of the United States, France,
Germany, Switzerland and Ukraine as plaintiffs, challenges the legitimacy of
Ilyumzhinov’s nominations by Russia, Argentina and Mexico. It also questions
the nominations of Beatriz Marinello for vice president on Ilyumzhinov’s slate.
As each candidate is required to have a slate to fill each major office in the
federation, and to have at least one candidate be a woman, Karpov is trying
to invalidate Ilyumzhinov’s candidacy by eliminating Marinello from his ticket.

The question of which candidate Russia is supporting has been a point of bitter
contention throughout the election. Both candidates are Russian and the
rules of the federation state that a candidate for office must either have the
nomination of his or her home country, or of a federation of which the candidate
has been a member for at least a year. Karpov, who also has the nominations
of France, Germany and Switzerland, claims that a vote
by a majority of the Russian Chess Federation on May 14 to endorse him was
legitimate and that he therefore is the Russian nominee.

After that vote, Arkady Dvorkovich, the chairman of the board of supervisors
of the federation, and a high-ranking Kremlin official, took control of the
federation and decreed that the vote was invalid. In a meeting on June 28, a
quorum of members of the federation voted to give Dvorkovich sole authority
to act on the federation’s behalf until a new meeting can be called in October
– after the FIDE elections. Dvorkovich then reaffirmed an earlier letter
he sent to FIDE in April endorsing Ilyumzhinov for president.

The lawsuit seeks to reaffirm the May 14 vote. It also seeks to show that Ilyumzhinov
has not been a member of the Argentinian and Mexican federations for long enough
to be nominated by them. The parties to the lawsuit say that the federation
has not turned over documents showing proof of his memberships, despite repeated
requests.

With regard to Marinello, who was born in Chile but has lived in the United
States for 20 years, the lawsuit claims that her nominations by Chile and Brazil
are not legitimate as she is not a member of either federation. That is not
true, Marinello said in a telephone interview. She said that she has dual citizenship
with Chile, travels there often because her family still lives there, and still
conducts chess seminars there. As for Brazil, she said that she had played chess
for a league there for many years. “My ties to Chile and Brazil are much stronger
than Karpov’s ties to France and Germany,” she said.

The election is this September at the Chess
Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

• Full
  New York Times report here

Chessbase.com

Read Full Post »

10.07.2010
– The Editor of Chess
Notes discusses the unusual brilliancy by Capablanca against Kevitz at New
York, 1931, on the basis of the loser’s notes in a letter written many
years later. The game has been described as ‘a delightful gem with a piquant
finish’ and with ‘a problem-like move’, but is the exact game-score certain? And, above all, has the Cuban’s
play been over-praised?

Advertisement

Lubomir Ftacnik: 1.d4 - a classical repertoire for White
This DVD by Lubomir Ftacnik is an ambitious project, presenting a comprehensive set of ideas and structures in chess openings, arising after the first move 1.d4. In 34 videos (plus intro and conclusion) the author covers all 1.d4 openings - classical ones, like all Queen’s Gambit lines and the Indian defences, but also many interesting gambits, like the Benko, Blumenfeld and Budapest. The suggested choices are approved and active, but also safe for the first player. Many hours of explanations and suggestions will significantly shorten the time needed for building up a complete and workable set of opening weapons, usually called a repertoire.
More information...

Chess Explorations (43)

By Edward Winter

Capablanca played 36...f3

C.N. 2805 attempted to shed light on one of Capablanca’s most original
and fortuitous victories by quoting the full text of a letter (undated) in our
collection which was written to Bruce Hayden by the loser, Alexander Kevitz
(1902-1981). First, for ease of reference, the complete game-score:

Alexander Kevitz – José Raúl Capablanca
New York, 19 April 1931
Réti’s Opening

1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 c6 3 b3 Bf5 4 g3 Nf6 5 Bg2 e6 6 O-O Nbd7 7 Bb2 Bd6 8 d3 O-O 9
Nbd2 Qe7 10 Re1 e5 11 cxd5 cxd5 12 e4 dxe4 13 dxe4 Be6 14 Qe2 Rac8 15 Nf1 Ba3
16 Nxe5 Bxb2 17 Qxb2 Nxe5 18 Qxe5 Qa3 19 Ne3 Ng4 20 Nxg4 Bxg4 21 h3 Be6 22 Re2
Rfd8

23 Qb2 Qc5 24 Rd2 Rxd2 25 Qxd2 b6 26 Rd1 g6 27 Kh2 a5 28 Qe2 b5 29 f4 a4 30
bxa4 bxa4 31 Rd2 a3 32 g4 g5 33 Qf2 Qxf2 34 Rxf2 gxf4 35 Rf3 Ra8 36 Rf2

36...f3 37 Bf1 Rb8 38 Rxf3 Rb2+ 39 Kg3 Rxa2 40 Rc3 Ra1 41 White resigns.

The above is the score as it appears in most sources, including the tournament
book by L. Eceizabarrena Gaba and R.A. Cela, whereas the tournament book by
J. Spence had an inversion of White’s 27th and 28th moves (which is not
in keeping with Kevitz’s remark below about ‘28 Q-K2??’).
Both volumes specified the time used for the game: 2 hours 38 minutes by Kevitz
and 1 hour 41 minutes by Capablanca.

Below is the full text of the letter from Kevitz to Hayden:

‘351 W. 24 St.
New York 10011

Dear Mr Hayden,

Al Horowitz mentioned your interest in the game and your letter was expected
and welcomed.

My game with Capa represents one of very many lost opportunities but after
all these years the pain has been numbed and I think I can be objective to
annotate it in its proper perspective.

Though the opening and defense had previously been played at London, Réti
startled the chess world in the 1924 N.Y. Tournament with the ideas presented.
All the grandmasters present were favourably impressed. As a budding chess
player I was present and as a student of opening theory I was greatly influenced.
For instance though the connection may be obscure the opening defense which
has frequently been renamed in my honour viz 1 P-K4 N-QB3 is really an outgrowth
of the same Réti theory.

Capa lost a beautiful game to Réti and his theory but in a
later round Lasker managed to win with his version of the Lasker defense.
His win was erroneously (I think) attributed to correct defense and Réti’s
midgame errors were overlooked. Between 1924 and 1931 Capa frequently played
W. in the Réti and always played Lasker’s defense as B.

I had studied Réti’s management of his system and with all due
respect I thought I had improved over his handling of his own system. And
the Capa game was my opportunity to demonstrate my improvement. So to the
game.

The first nine moves arrive at the same Réti-Lasker position. By my
present day knowledge the order of moves is wrong but that is tangential.

Though some books now recommend 10 R-K1 I know and knew it to be wrong. I
played it because I was sure Capa would answer 10…P-K4. Correct is 10
PxP BPxP as Réti played it and then not 11 R-B1 but 11 P-K4, which
I have since played with devastating results.

At move 14, …P-QR4 as Lasker might have played is met by 15 Q-N5.

Capa said his 15…B-QR6 was an oversight. In that case a strange one
for him. But he also later said he couldn’t see how to meet the W. threats
which are only superficially obscure. W. threatens on say 15…R-B2 16
N-R4 followed by implantation of a N. at KB5. As variant W. also threatens
N-N5 B-N5 P-B3 B-R4 P-R4 etc. Therefore 15 P-KR3 or P-N3 is unplayable.

The play through the 22nd move seems to be errorless. Now the opinion of
the consensus that says W. should win is based on the clarified position at
W.’s 23rd move. W. is a P. ahead in an otherwise even position. The
plan should have been simply 23 P-KB4 to start a pawn storming of the B. K.
side position or a passed P. plus what K. attack develops. 23 Q-N2 was strategically
and tactically unnecessary. Nor is 23 K-R2 necessary. Capa would probably
have played 23 P-KB4 R-B4 24 Q-N2 QxQ 25 RxQ R-Q6 26 K-B2 and now even with
24…QR-B6 25 P-N4 W. could not be prevented from doubling Rs. on the
K. file. The point is that B.’s demonstration with P-QR4 could not follow
through because W. could arrive at a P-KB5 driving B.’s B. off the diagonal
before B.’s threats could mount.

26 R-Q1 is the first of a new series of weak moves stemming from clock trouble.
It is not addressed to the strategic needs. Correct is 26 K-R2 P-QR4 27 P-B4
P-N3 28 R-KB P-QN4?? 29 P-B5. Probably B. would have to play 28…Q-B7.

28 Q-K2?? is totally incomprehensible. 28 P-B4 continues to prevent …P-QN4
because of QxP.

31 R-Q2?? is again wrong preparation. Correct is 31 B-B3 and if 31…P-KR4
32 P-N4 or if 31…Q-R6 32 B-N4 or if the defensive ideas are found 31…P-R4
32 P-N4 Q-R6 33 P-B5 or R-Q2 first.

32 P-N4?? finally throws away the win. I overlooked the answer completely
and in exasperation overlooked the draw as well. 33 P-B5 Q-K4+ 34 K-R R-B8+
35 R-Q Q-N7 36 Q-Q3 BxRP 37 Q-Q8+ etc. First should have come some move like
32 B-B3.

Capa’s final combination starting with 33…QxQ was beautiful precision
and included a problem-like move 36…P-B6.

I do not pretend these annotations are complete and some of them being present
day offhand may be inaccurate or wrong. Please feel free to question them
or to attack their validity.

In any case I would be pleased to hear from you further on this or any other
question.

With best regards and good wishes.

Yours truly,

Alex Kevitz.’

In C.N. 2820 Gene Gnandt (Houston, TX, USA) commented on Kevitz’s annotations:

‘I think he is much too hard on himself. Even with Capablanca’s
36...f3!, White does not appear to be lost. After 36...f3! 37 Bf1 Rb8 …

… instead of 38 Rxf3?? why not 38 Bd3 Rb2 39 Rxb2 axb2 40 Bb1 Bc4
41 Kg3 Be2, etc.?’

In that same C.N. item we noted that the second Chess Stars volume on Capablanca,
published in 1997, also gives the above line (page 141), indicating (with symbols)
that after 42 a4 White has counter-play and stands only slightly worse.

In C.N. 4193 Karsten Müller (Hamburg, Germany) informed us:

‘Capablanca’s 36...f3 was, in fact, a mistake, violating the
important endgame principle “do not hurry”. Improving the position
of the rook and king first and playing ...f3 later to disrupt White’s
defensive coordination should win. For instance, 36...Ra4 37 g5 Kg7 38 h4
h6 39 gxh6+ Kxh6, and White is powerless against Black’s plan of bringing
the rook to b2 and infiltrating with the king (e.g. 40 Bf3 Rb4, followed by
...Rb2).’

As regards the game-score, earlier this month Olimpiu G. Urcan (Singapore)
sent us the moves as they appeared in the New York Times, 20 April 1931,
page 26 and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 23 April 1931, page 28. Both gave
the move sequence as 27 Qe2 and 28 Kh2:

The game was not widely published in chess magazines of the time, although
it appears in many collections of the Cuban’s greatest games, highly praised.
For example, on page 238 of Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings (Oxford,
1978) Irving Chernev called it ‘a delightful gem with a piquant finish’.
In Capablanca’s Hundred Best Games of Chess by Harry Golombek (London,
1947) 36...f3 was described as ‘a potent move that makes the game resemble
an endgame study’ (or ‘a composed endgame’ in the 1996 Batsford/Nunn
edition).

One of our copies of the original edition of Golombek’s book is inscribed
to Bruce Hayden:

We conclude with a photograph of Alexander Kevitz, from page 44 of the March
1929 American Chess Bulletin:

Capablanca articles by Edward Winter:

Capablanca: How I Learned to Play Chess
Reminiscences by Capablanca
Capablanca in the English Review
Capablanca on his Predecessors
The Capablanca-Pokorny Fiasco
Capablanca on San Sebastián, 1912
Steinitz Stuck and Capa Caught
Capablanca v Fonaroff
How Capablanca Became World Champion
Capablanca’s Reply to Lasker
Morrison v Capablanca, London, 1922
The London Rules
A Chess-Billiards Concoction
Capablanca in New York World (1925)
Analytical Disaccord
Capablanca on Moscow, 1925
Capablanca v Alekhine, 1927
A Fake Chess Photograph
A Lecture by Capablanca (1932)
Capablanca Interviewed in 1939
Capablanca on Maróczy
The Genius and the Princess
Capablanca’s Death
Books about Capablanca and Alekhine
Capablanca Goes Algebraic
Capablanca Book Destroyed
Immortal but Unknown
The Mysterious Frederick D. Rosebault

Submit information
or suggestions on chess explorations

All ChessBase articles
by Edward Winter

Edward
Winter is the editor of Chess
Notes, which was founded in January 1982 as "a forum for aficionados
to discuss all matters relating to the Royal Pastime". Since then, over 6,650
items have been published, and the series has resulted in four books by Winter:
Chess
Explorations (1996), Kings,
Commoners and Knaves (1999), A
Chess Omnibus (2003) and Chess
Facts and Fables (2006). He is also the author of a monograph
on Capablanca (1989).

Chess Notes is well known for its historical research, and anyone browsing
in its archives
will find a wealth of unknown games, accounts of historical mysteries, quotes
and quips, and other material of every kind imaginable. Correspondents from
around the world contribute items, and they include not only "ordinary readers"
but also some eminent historians – and, indeed, some eminent masters. Chess
Notes is located at the Chess
History Center. Signed copies of Edward Winter's publications are
currently available.

Read Full Post »

09.07.2010
– In endgames, a further reduction in material is always a critical decision. In our position, Black was offered with
60...Kxg2 61.Kxe3 Rxb5 62.axb5 f1Q 63.Rxf1 Kxf1 the option of a liquidation to a pawn ending, which would leave him with a protected passed pawn on a5.

What do you think? Should he choose that liquidation or should he rather go for 60...Rc3 and the ending with rooks and bishops of opposite colours?

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller on
ChessBase Magazine Online.

Advertisement

Lubomir Ftacnik: 1.d4 - a classical repertoire for White
This DVD by Lubomir Ftacnik is an ambitious project, presenting a comprehensive set of ideas and structures in chess openings, arising after the first move 1.d4. In 34 videos (plus intro and conclusion) the author covers all 1.d4 openings - classical ones, like all Queen’s Gambit lines and the Indian defences, but also many interesting gambits, like the Benko, Blumenfeld and Budapest. The suggested choices are approved and active, but also safe for the first player. Many hours of explanations and suggestions will significantly shorten the time needed for building up a complete and workable set of opening weapons, usually called a repertoire.
More information...

Tactics,
Openings, Endgames - Visit ChessBase Magazine Online

Lalith-Piasetski, Hilversum 2010

Chessbase.com

Read Full Post »

09.07.2010
– Yesterday we went through the Ilyumzhinov election site, today we look at recent
Karpov2010 campaign efforts –
in the Caribbean. There is some remarkable video of a vote being taken in Puerto
Rico to support the challenger's ticket. We also learn that Presidential candidate Karpov
is taking up his opponent's challenge with $100,000 sponsorship package to promote chess in Central America.

Advertisement

Lubomir Ftacnik: 1.d4 - a classical repertoire for White
This DVD by Lubomir Ftacnik is an ambitious project, presenting a comprehensive set of ideas and structures in chess openings, arising after the first move 1.d4. In 34 videos (plus intro and conclusion) the author covers all 1.d4 openings - classical ones, like all Queen’s Gambit lines and the Indian defences, but also many interesting gambits, like the Benko, Blumenfeld and Budapest. The suggested choices are approved and active, but also safe for the first player. Many hours of explanations and suggestions will significantly shorten the time needed for building up a complete and workable set of opening weapons, usually called a repertoire.
More information...

Democracy in Action: Puerto Rico Adelante!

It was a wonderful sight in Puerto Rico last weekend, as people power worked
for the future of chess in beautiful Puerto Rico. When the Federation’s
leadership balked at an open debate over whom to support for FIDE president,
an Extraordinary Assembly was called. As the remarkable videos show, well over
100 members came out to vote! The result was a clear win to support the ticket
of Anatoly Karpov, and the Assembly also supported the candidacy of Puerto Rico’s
own chess dynamo, Rafael Ortiz Bonilla, for General Secretary on the Continental
Americas ticket of Marvin Guevara, along with Francisco Guadalupe, which is
supported by the Karpov2010 campaign.

Here’s the vote count in action progress. The voters didn’t fit
into the meeting hall so the Assembly had to go outside the building! Our thanks
and congratulations to Rafael Ortiz and Federation president Omar Añeses
for this heartening display of democracy in action.

Here's
a full YouTube page of videos on the proceedings of the Extraordinary
Assembly of the Puerto Rican Chess Federation

The vote took place just weeks after the visit of Garry Kasparov to Puerto
Rico, where he was very well received. Kasparov was impressed with the passion
for chess on the island and especially by the Casa del Ajedrez, an amazing institution
that the Karpov campaign has pledged to turn into a Latin American / Caribbean
operations center. As Rafael Ortiz puts it, “it makes perfect sense because
Puerto Rico is the e4 square on a board that spans Argentina to Canada!”
And who knows better than Karpov about controlling the center of the board?

Source: Karpov2010
campaign site

We are told that the vote count was 76 to endorse Karpov immediately and 59
not to endorse immediately. 45 of the 59 "no" voters said they also
supported Karpov, but wanted to hear more from Ilyumzhinov first. Sr. Ortiz's
answer was, "Kirsan has had 15 years not just to say something, but to
do something!"

Karpov's visit to The Bahamas

Near the end of June, Anatoly Karpov paid a two-day visit to the city of Nassau,
the capital of the island nation of The Bahamas, where they are just beginning
to develop a serious chess presence. Karpov’s arrival coincided with the
launch of the Sub Zonal 2.3 tournament, the first time it has been hosted in
the Bahamas. Representatives of Barbados, Venezuela, Jamaica, and many more
regional federations made up the field. In the end, the winner was Jomo Pitterson
of Jamaica.

Karpov at the opening ceremony of the Sub Zonal with several promising local
players.
In the center, wearing a tie, is Education Minister Desmond Bannister.

Bahamian chess federation president Kean Smith alongside Bahamian Minister
of
Tourism Vernice Walkine, who makes the first move.

Several federation presidents also participated in the event. Octavio Croes
(right) leads Aruba.

The eventual winner, Jomo Pitterson, on the left in the orange shirt, shares
a joke
with the "Caribbean Tal," Barbados' Philip Corbin, on the right, before
round two.

Aruban representatives Jasel and Juste Lopez. "We never get to play
anyone strong
at home," lamented Juste. Unless you are a veteran of the region it can
be a little
startling to hear Dutch being spoken around you.

The stresses of organizing this international tournament, and, sadly, of politics,
created a strange atmosphere for the arrival of the 12th World Champion. There
was no media prepared for his appearance, though meetings with the Ministers
of Tourism and Sport were arranged at the last second, and he met Desmond Bannister,
Acting Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture and Minister of Education, briefly
at the opening ceremony of the tournament.

In the above picture we see Kean Smith, President of the Bahamas Chess
Federation; Anatoly Karpov, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace, Ms Walkine, Nicole
Campbell, Permanent Secretary of Youth, Sport and Culture, and Tyrone Sawyer,
Director of Sports Tourism. Image by courtesy of the Bahamas Tourism
Today web site, which also has a
report.

Errol Tiwari is the president of the Guyana chess federation and he also
played in the Sub Zonal. Karpov was interested to learn that some of the world's
best rums come from Guyana and even more impressed to receive a bottle. Traditionally,
though, the candidates are the ones giving gifts to the delegates?!

The attendance at the event of Mr. Jorge Vega, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s Continental
President, seemed to create an unfortunate tension. Instead of uniting to promote
chess and to take advantage of the presence of a former world champion, a negative
spirit of competition was instead present. Karpov’s attempts to host an
open discussion with the regional federation heads in attendance and the executives
of the Bahamian federation about how to advance chess in the Caribbean were
actively fought. Even an invitation to have dinner with the world champion was
challenged by Mr. Vega. And while we understand the difficult situation these
intimidation tactics can create for the representatives, we insist that it is
possible to promote chess for the benefit of all and hold a political
campaign at the same time. The Bahamian chess community and the entire region
were cheated of a unique opportunity.

English GM David Norwood, who resided for some time in The Bahamas, was one
of the major sponsors of the Sub Zonal tournament. He expressed his disappointment:

“When I heard that Karpov would be attending the Caribbean Sub-Zonal
I was obviously delighted. Whatever one’s politics, I thought this was
a fantastic opportunity for Bahamas chess and incredible publicity for the
tournament. However, I was horrified to hear that while in Nassau he had been
snubbed to the point of rudeness. It’s no way to promote chess and it’s
no way to treat one of the game’s greatest players. That will be the
last of my money going into Bahamian chess until they decide to put chess
before politics.”

In February this year Norwood played a chess simul and made a major donation to the Bahamas Chess Federation, as Kean Smith reported. David Robert Norwood, 41, is a grandmaster, writer and businessman who joined the city investment bank Banker's Trust in 1991 and became the director of Special Projects at IP Group plc. He earned his IM title in 1985 and became a full grandmaster in 1989. In addition to being an Oxford graduate, David is the author of two chess books and is a former chess columnist at the Daily Telegraph. Today he lives on an island far away from the mainstream of chess, business, or in fact society in general.

National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. There are more pictures from Karpov's
visit
in the Caribbean Chess Sub Zonal 2010 report on the FIDE
web site.

See also the Chess
Drum report on Karpov campaigning in Bahamas

Karpov Campaign announces $100,000 for Central America

The Karpov2010 website has published this letter from software CEO (and strong
chessplayer – a former World Open winner) Alan Trefler. In it, he expresses
his interest in the future of commercial chess sponsorship for his company,
but says "the current environment at FIDE is inappropriate for us."
Along with the letter, the Karpov
campaign announced they have secured $100,000 to promote chess in Central
America over the next four years – presumably under a Karpov FIDE administration.
Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras were early supporters of Karpov's campaign.
The release continues, "Similar projects are coming next to the Caribbean,
South America, Asia, and then Africa as soon as the appropriate partnerships
and entities are finalized. Localized arrangements in Europe and the Middle
East will also be announced. In the next ten days you will hear the details
of several more major sponsorship packages, on a region-by-region basis."

Click to enlarge

• The Karpov2010 Campaign
  Site

Chessbase.com

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