AJEDREZ DEMOCRÁTICO

Correspondence Salov-Seirawan (part III)

Dear Valery,

I must confess to being taken aback by your second letter on the topic of FIDE and my open letter to its President Kirsan Iljumzinov. Are you quite certain that we are addressing the same topic of chess? I do note a few items that are actually chess related and I have chosen to address those below. You may wish to discuss NATO policy and the philosophical nature of democracy with other more qualified persons.

I was shocked by your language referring to the relationship between Garry Kasparov and myself. Americans prefer the term "brown-noser." The imagery is strikingly similar to your reference and yet the language is less vulgar. Thirty-bucks an hour? Is that really the going rate? As to the charge itself, you have missed your mark by a wide margin. While I've been overwhelmed by Garry's chess playing abilities I've also been one of his harshest critics for his moves off the board. Any long-time Inside Chess magazine reader could easily validate my statement while questioning your motivation for making such an obviously false charge.

Before moving beyond Kasparov and myself, I note that you quote from a private exchange of messages between GM Boris Gulko and me in order to hurl your absurd brown-noser charge against me. It is common courtesy to request the permission of the authors of such letters before excerpting from them a quote, taken out of context, and publishing such an exchange. I think it is in the readers’ interest to see the complete exchange between Boris and myself <seigulexchange.html> and I have formally asked him for his permission. A kindness which he has granted. I don't believe that such courtesy is unique to Americans and must surmise that you are unfamiliar with such etiquette. No apologies are requested for this first offense. I'd merely suggest that for the future, you should ask permission.

Obviously we disagree about the core group of FIDE's leaders. I have called upon FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzinov and his Presidential Board to step down. You think that they are wonderful. Fine! For your information, the following persons formed the core group of the 1994 FIDE Executive Board:

Campomanes - President
Ghobash - Deputy President
Makarov - Vice President
Makropoulos - Secretary
Iclicki - Treasurer

Mr. Ghobash and Mr. Makarov are no longer involved in FIDE matters, while Mr. Campomanes, Mr. Makropoulos and Mr. Iclicki all play active roles in FIDE today. How much in fact has the core leadership group changed within FIDE? In my view, a game of musical chairs has been played with a new FIDE President Iljumzinov at the helm.

I'm so pleased that we are in agreement regarding the person of Mr. Makarov. I was quite afraid that you intended to defend this former FIDE Vice-President for some time to come. As Inside Chess readers are well aware, I spoke vehemently against Mr. Makarov in the pages of that magazine. The reason for my disgust had everything to do with his ruffian-like ways. It is precisely such threats of physical intimidation which I would like to see rooted out of FIDE. To help you understand FIDE's modus operandi I urge you to carefully read the following FIDE report by the FIDE Canadian Delegate Phil Haley <fidecongres96.html>. (Please spare me the sermon of how Canada is a totalitarian state aspiring towards democracy and how such a report may only trumpet Western values.)

My point in publishing, with Mr. Haley's permission, his entire report is to escape the charge of taking his words out of context. I believe that Mr. Haley's report is an exceptionally damning one and it is easy to imagine why folks aren't flocking to support FIDE, its leaders and its policies.

One part of Mr. Haley's report I would like to note is:

"...In the meantime, the previous night's Assembly meeting had adjourned in disorder with GM Bachar Kouatly bringing to the attention of the floor that Mr. Ignatius Leong of Singapore and the FIDE administrative manager had been ordered out of the meeting by President Iljumzhinov after he had apparently voted a proxy in opposition to President Iljumzhinov’s wishes. Although he was not the official FIDE delegate from Singapore he was at that time representing the Singapore delegate and had three proxies of which he had kept the allowed one and reassigned two others. It was also stated that his proxies were removed The statement by Bachar Kouatly caused an uproar in the General Assembly and President Iljumzhinov quickly adjourned the meeting to the next morning. The lights were lowered and the microphones turned off. GM Sunye Neto spoke softly to the Assembly and asked that delegates return quietly to their hotels. It was later said that Mr. Leong and the Singapore delegate were concerned and Mr. Doyle sought the protection of the U.S. embassy on their behalf. What happened next is not totally clear but apparently President Iljumzhinov apologized late that night and the next morning Mr. Leong advised the Assembly that he had not been physically threatened..." [Phil Haley - FIDE Canadian Delegate]

Valery, you have accused me of behaving mischievously about this topic. I've been accused of being charming, chivalrous, generous and the like. But mischievous? Are you sure you weren't projecting yourself here? After all I had specifically mentioned the threats received by our colleague, GM Kouatly at the 1998 Elista Congress which you blithely ignored. Again, I ask you to speak with our friend Bachar and find out first hand what threats were made which caused him to flee Elista and catch the first flight out of the Republic!

As you are a brilliant chess player, I expect you to readily seize upon an obvious pattern afflicting FIDE. Threats of physical intimidation in FIDE congresses in 1994, 1996 and 1998... Can we not at least agree that such examples of behavior have absolutely no place in FIDE meetings? That this trend must stop immediately? That the FIDE leadership must bear responsibility for creating and allowing such charged atmospheres? And that we can therefore make the sweepingly obvious deduction: it is time to call for new leaders? Again, Valery, you should lend your support to this call as it would be very meaningful and valuable.

Regarding copyright game scores. Clearly you are not familiar with this topic and I urge you to do more research to satisfy yourself that you are behind the times. GM Evgeny Sveshnikov didn't have a sudden epiphany. In point of fact the issues of copyrights to chess games are older than Evgeny, you and I all put together. Our first champion Steinitz and then Lasker took a stab at this issue and it was discussed even before that time. I refer you to the fine work of Edward Winter and his article in the 7/1987 New In Chess magazine as well as the updated version of his article published in Kings, Commoners and Knaves pages 181-189. In any case, you mischaracterized my position on this issue. In a nutshell, I do not want FIDE collecting royalties on my behalf.

Thank you for correcting my factual error regarding the FIDE player's council versus your independent WPC which is affiliated with FIDE. You will be proud to note that you have been the most outstanding defender of FIDE's leaders. Well done!

The purpose of my Open Letter, Enough is Enough <openletter.html>, I would have thought was obvious: I believe that FIDE is an organization that has fallen into disrepute; that its policies are flawed and that its leaders need to be replaced. If you think I'm wrong in these statements you have chosen not to address them. I can therefore only surmise that you have deliberately avoided addressing the issues because you too realize that the policies of the current FIDE administration cannot be defended. Your choice to hide behind a smoke screen of nonsense and curses makes perfect sense.

Valery, what is necessary in the FIDE of tomorrow is to find men and women of integrity and good will who will work together for a better future for all of chessplayers, from club players to the world champion. For far too long, FIDE has ignored the obvious: that Garry Kasparov is the best chess player in the world. FIDE must find a way of bringing him back into the fold. I have asked Garry to work in good faith with new leaders and he has agreed. The next step is to get a group of sincere individuals to step forward and to work together with Garry to make a better organization for tomorrow. It is a large task to restore the credibility of FIDE which has eroded away these last few years. Certainly the folks that I've encouraged to step forward have been very reluctant. They lead comfortable successful lives and are not anxious to spend a great deal of time and energy helping the FIDE of today. I hope they will overcome their reluctance so that the words,

Gens Una Sumus

are truly heartfelt and meaningful. That FIDE will be restored to being a credible organization of which we can all be proud.

With my warmest regards,

Yasser

Dear Yasser,

I sincerely sympathize with your awfully awkward position of a person who has absolutely nothing to say and yet feels obliged to say something. Your last clumsy attempt to further confuse the credulous readers of 'Inside Chess', while having been marred by the same zeal to misrepresent facts that characterized your first letter to FIDE, lacked its liveliness of style and florid rhetoric. I would have simply ignored it on the ground of its general dullness, were I not an uncompromising democrat, a man of good will and your bosom-well-wisher, determined to bring you back to the divine light of truth and virtue.

First of all, let's deal briefly with the main issues raised in your letter:

1) >You may wish to discuss NATO policy and the philosophical nature of democracy with other more qualified persons.<

My dear friend, one is only left to lament that by this extraordinarily sage remark, admitting your general incompetence in the political matters, you have thoroughly exhausted your reserves of frankness and earnestness.

2) >I was shocked by your language referring to the relationship between Garry Kasparov and myself. Americans prefer the term "brown-noser". The imagery is strikingly similar to your reference and yet the language is less vulgar.<

Though I have indeed tried to keep up with the tone of your own epistle to FIDE, I admit that it was a mistake - there is nothing as hopeless as competing with Americans in vulgarity, not only of language but in anything: mentality, behaviour, propaganda, "culture", meals, life style, external policy,etc. It's a sort of national trademark and the worst part of the story is that by the chilling touch of your crude commercialism, over-fed barbarism and militarism you are vulgarising the whole mankind.

Dear Yasser, I readily accept your new sophisticated term and invite you to go and carefully wash the brown stinky substance euphemistically known as faeces off your nose. Its layer is still fresh and can be easily rinsed, but don't linger - it's sticky.

The contents of my previous letter to you was elegantly summarized by... William Shakespeare:

Have more than thou showest,

Than two tens to a score.

I hope you have no objections to it.

3) >...you quote from a private exchange of messages between GM Boris Gulko and me<

Perhaps it was not so private if you sent it to me by e-mail?

4) >...excerpting from them a quote, taken out of context...<

It was a half-page citation, what context are you talking about? - the one of even more intensive brown-nosing, mingle-mangle and canting twaddle?

5) >I don't believe that such courtesy is unique to Americans and must surmise that you are unfamiliar with such etiquette.<

Yes, Yasser, it's unique and I'm blissfully unfamiliar with it: no one else but American would have published his letter to me on a website and deigned not notify me of it until a few days later.

6) >I'm so pleased that we are in agreement regarding the person of Mr.Makarov. I was quite afraid that you intended to defend this former FIDE Vice-President for some time to come.<

You ought better to spare your readers this particular hogwash for the reasons of decency. Blasts and fogs upon thee!

>The reason for my disgust had everything to do with his ruffian-like ways. It is precisely such threats of physical intimidation which I would like to see rooted out of FIDE. To help you understand FIDE's modus operandi I urge you to carefully read the following FIDE report by the FIDE Canadian Delegate Phil Haley.<

I'm well familiar with Phil's report (my warmest regards to him), having read it back in 1996; who needs refreshing his memory is yourself, Yasser, instead of lecturing me on the core group of FIDE's leaders.

If you read it attentively, you'll find out that Mr.Makarov (Rosenblum) was a candidate for vice-presidency in the election team "selected by a committee (Ditt, Germany; Gelfer, Israel and Loewenthal, Netherlands) that had been established at the unofficial European meeting in Utrecht (attended also by Fan Adams from the U.S. and myself [P.H.] from Canada). At that time probably no one was more outspoken against President Iljumzhinov than was Andrei Makarov of Russia."

This meeting at Utrecht took place in 1996, well after Moscow Congress, staged by the hoodlumish team of Kasparov and Makarov. It was USA, Canada and so-called western european democracies who were trying to re-elect Mr. Makarov in 1996; so, please, don't try to brainwash us on this subject. He is one of those "men and women of integrity and good will", belonging to a select "group of sincere individuals to step forward and to work together with Garry" to make FIDE "a better organization", according to your own hackneyed demagoguery.

7) >After all I had specifically mentioned the threats received by our colleague, GM Kouatly at the 1998 Elista Congress which you blithely ignored.<

You had not mentioned anything specific about GM Kouatly except his name, and the readers can check it themselves unless they have natural disdain of proof of any kind.

>Again, I ask you to speak with our friend Bachar and find out first hand what threats were made which caused him to flee Elista and catch the first flight out of the Republic!<

Apparently his retreat stands in perfect harmony with your own plans for FIDE, outlined in your correspondence with Boris: "We must be polite to one another and address one another with honorific titles!" (ask Bachar what honorific titles had he employed addressing President of Kalmykia!). "Parliamentarians would always be present to follow Robert's rules of order. Persons who violate these procedures and act out of order are reprimanded by the Chairperson and invited to leave assembly." After that, I assume, they are free to catch the first flight out of the Republic!

Yasser, I had been in Elista in 1998 during the Central Committee meetings and I remember vividly that Mr.Kouatly, though no member of CC and a dissenter, was given a floor there in his capacity of adamant guardian of Mr.Karpov's interests (another dissident who was present as well) - something unimaginable in the anti-democratic FIDE you continue to dream about!

To show you that GM Karpov himself is no Little Red Riding Hood either but rather a very worthy pupil to his ribald successor (the source of the rich brown colour of your nose), let me tell you that following my very mild and polite criticism of Mr.Karpov's selfish attitude maintained by him in flagrant discrepancy with the interests of his colleagues (during the above-mentioned CC meeting in Elista), he made an attempt to intimidate me as well - something, as you understand, far from being easy to implement.

>Threats of physical intimidation in FIDE congresses in 1994, 1996 and 1998... Can we not at least agree that such examples of behaviour have absolutely no place in FIDE meetings? That this trend must stop immediately?<

Let's see:

- 1994, Moscow; Mr.Makarov (Rosenblum), whom USA and Western Europe tried to re-elect in 1996.

- 1996, Yerevan; I refer you back to Phil Haley's article: "...the next morning Mr.Leong advised the Assembly that he had not been physically threatened...".

- 1998, Elista; an outrageous but unsuccessful behind-the-scenes attempt of Mr.Karpov to physically intimidate his colleague GM Valery Salov, president of the World Players' Council. Horrid episode! But how to combat this trend if western press always attacks FIDE and defends the hooligans?

I would even say more - the journalists are the most dangerous thugs themselves. In Linares, 2000 I had received the death threats from Mr. Roshal (editor-in-chief of '64', notorious for his KGB ties) in presence of two witnesses. During the same tournament, in Linares press-center, Mr.John Henderson from Scotland (LCC, TWIC) cynically laughed right at my face at my suggestion that I might have had some image rights, only the intervention of a lawyer, who came to my rescue, saved the situation. The 'New in Chess' magazine is indecently biased in its editorial policy, had long time ago suppressed the remnants of freedom of expression and in all justice may be called today semi-official racist publication. The hue of Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam's nose is suspiciously reminiscent of yours. Let's better not dwell upon spanish specialized press, so depressingly one-sided and corrupt.

Dear Yasser, instead of writing wild anti-FIDE articles you should better join us in our staunch defence of democracy.

8) >Regarding copyright game scores. Clearly you are not familiar with this topic and I urge you to do more research to satisfy yourself that you are behind the times... Our first champion Steinitz and then Lasker took a stab at this issue and it was discussed even before that time.<

There must be some misunderstanding here from your part, Yasser; please, consult once again the article of Edward Winter to make sure that both Steinitz and Lasker had already been dead by 1996 and took no part in FIDE's copyright initiative. It seems to me it's you who is about 100 years behind the times.

9) >I believe that FIDE is an organization that has fallen into disrepute; that its policies are flawed and that its leaders need to be replaced. If you think I'm wrong in these statements you have chosen not to address them. I can therefore only surmise that you have deliberately avoided addressing the issues because you too realize that the policies of the current FIDE administration cannot be defended. Your choice to hide behind a smoke screen of nonsense and curses makes perfect sense.<

You can believe and surmise whatever you like and you'll be wrong to do it. I have already efficiently dealt with the major part of your puerile and incoherent "accusations" both in my previous letter to you, during my press-conference in León (complete print-out in Spanish is published on our website: http://ajedrez_democratico.tripod.com), in my last article "El Laboratorio. Limpieza Ética" (also available in spanish on our site) and in the course of our not yet published correspondence. You are well aware of it, Yasser, so don't try to play a violated innocence.

Surely, the absurdity of your claims has by now become evident even to you, how should one otherwise interpret your confession of having been taken aback by the attempts to discuss the NATO policy? - a discussion, let me remind you, triggered by yourself. If anyone has a custom to hide himself behind a smoke screen of cluster bombs and missiles covered with depleted uranium, it's you, my dear anti-democratic friend.

If you are thoroughly satisfied by my explicit commentary to your epistolary pranks let me know it in a friendly obsequious letter of contrition, if not - doubt not state it with masochistic sincerety.

With warm regards,

GM Valery Salov, president of the WPC

July , 20  2000

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