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«I ask Mikhail Golubev, The Web Editor, to post this present message on his Web site, and will forward a copy to Corus tournament organisers!» - Joel Bouard, Paris, France.
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Date: January 15, 2003 7:57 PM
From: jbouard@magic.fr
To: ruslan@chess-sector.odessa.ua
Dear FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov,
Dear Website Editor Mikhail Golubev,
As a chess amateur, I would like to react to the indecent move of Fide officials during the very important Corus chess tournament recently.
It is absolutely unfair and dishonest from FIDE people at highest level, just to show up during such a big chess event, and pretend to discuss anything with the official FIDE World Champion, and so completely destroy his preparation and readiness to fight his formidable opponents in this tournament. They certainly know (especially Azmaiparashvili who is himself a strong IGM!) that any extra chess pressure is harmful at this level! So their attitude, which consists in perturbing the psychological preparation of their own official FIDE world champion is unforgivable! It would be illogical simply if it came from a average official! But we can perfectly understand that these people are, in fact, very clever, so they know exactly what they are doing! So their pretended coming to Wijk aan Zee, supposedly to discuss a match contract (well this can wait after this crucial SuperTournament!), is apparently only a manoeuvre to destabilise the reigning World Champion of Chess, and make him miss this tournament. This is meant to put him in an inferior position and obliged to accept all their? (No! Kasparov's conditions, on whose behalf they are actually acting!!). This is dishonest, unfair and shameful! The more so, that these FIDE representatives are putting pressure on Ruslan Ponomariov to accept that in case of draw, he would not simply keep his title! How can these people come off with such an incredible ultimatum! Simply because Kasparov wants it! And they simply reveal to the world of Chess that they are favoring Kasparov, well, because of his strong connection with Sponsors and big companies willing to pour a lot of money to use Kasparov's «image». But the ultimatum based on dropping the draw odds condition imposed by Kasparov is contrary to all chess history of FIDE world Chess Championships! All past World Champions have used it! And among them also Fischer and Kasparov himself! So, nobody really understands the meaning of this joint Kasparov/Fide shameful and undecent «proposition»! Besides, FIDE is threatening to replace Ponomariov by Ivanchuk in case he refuses! So, it's a DICTATE, that also reveals the complete lack of democracy in present day FIDE, very far from its 'gens una sumus' marvellous tradition! But if FIDE officials that came to Wijk aan Zee only had the hidden intention to put a lot of pressure on Ponomariov during this Super Tournament when his facing the best players in the world, they certainly succeeded. As a chess Friend and amateur, I find these FIDE moves unacceptable, and ask every chess player in the world to reject these unfair FIDE practices. I also publicly ask all these FIDE officials to: Leave the Tournament immediately and let Ruslan Ponomariov play quietly his Chess games! If not, the Corus Tournament Organisers have the moral duty to get them out of the Tournament immediately!
Everybody in the Chess World has to stand on the side of Ruslan Ponomariov, because he is the weakest side in this psychological war between him and Fide/Kasparov camp. Please, let us altogether stand on his side to protect this young man quietly play his Chess games, and display to the World the extent of his true Chess talent! And let us also teach FIDE that this World chess organisation has to care for the interests of ALL Chess Players, and not only of those of Gary Kasparov! I ask Mikhail Golubev, The Web Editor, to post this present message on his Web site, and will forward a copy to Corus tournament organisers!
Thank you very much in advance!
Joel Bouard, Paris, France.
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