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PRESS RELEASE
Recently the mass media reported on the differences existing between the FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov and the organizers of the super tournament in Linares, Spain. These reports were riddled with ambiguous representations and some of them even distorted the facts. Therefore, Donetsk Region Chess Federation together with the Region State Administration took a decision to arrange a press conference today, 6 February 2002.
The background is as follows:
On 19 December 2001 Ruslan Ponomariov signed a preliminary invitation regarding his participation in the super tournament in Linares (we emphasize that it was a preliminary invitation and not the official contract).
Later Ponomariov played in the world championship final in Moscow (16-23 January 2002) where he masterfully defeated Vasily Ivanchuk from Lvov. Naturally, the situation has changed. Everybody understands that the world champion title imposes additional responsibilities. In particular, it was necessary for Ruslan to be present at the inauguration of Ruslan Ponomariov International Chess School. Donetsk Region Administration and the sponsors who promoted the establishment of the school for talented juniors and invested quite a lot into this generous deed would have not approved of the fact that Ruslan Ponomariov is absent and the inauguration of the school bearing his name. However, the train of events made it so that the school opening coincided in time with the tournament in Linares. So, Ponomariov brought his apologies to the organizers and refused to participate having notified the organizers in writing. Besides, we should not forget the physical and moral fatigue o the 18 year old champion.
On 29 January 2002 the Donetsk Region Chess Federation received an e-mail from Mr. Juan Fernandez Gutierrez, Mayor of Linares. The Mayor asserted that Ponomariov's refusal to participate will incur financial losses on the organizers. Consequently, if the world champion does not review his decision and does not agree to participate, the tournament organizers sue him with a view of getting a compensation amounting to USD 1.0 m. On top of that, the letter was phrased more than indecorously and, sometimes, sounded like a sheer ultimatum.
Considering that the contents and the tone of the letter are in no way tenable, Ruslan Ponomariov's managers felt some doubts as to whether it was the Linares Mayor who wrote it. Therefore a written request to confirm the authorship was sent to the Mayor of Linares on 4 February 2002. The answer is still due.
(translated by Ukrainian Chess Online)
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EMAIL
JUICIO PONOMARIOV INGLES.doc
Once received your document dated on the 26th of this month, notifying your resignation to participate in the XIX «CIUDAD DE LINARES» International Chess Tournament due to some commitments undertaken subsequent to the contract with the City Hall of Linares, and considering the vey serious consequences caused by your lack of presence in Linares from the 22nd of February to the 10th of March 2002, among them:
- The several sponsors will withdraw their economic contributions.
- The withdrawal of all the signs and information on newspapers, radio, and T.V. and, of course, the remaking of them and the recording of T.V. programmes again.
- The cancellation of contracts signed with T.V. channels and Internet Companies for this Tournament and their consequent and pertinent legal actions.
Due to all these previous reasons we beg you to reconsider your decision and within a period of 48 hours, confirm your participation in Linares according to the signed contract, in the interests of your credibility, that of our Tournament, your current Fide World Title and, all in all the credibility of chess worldwide.
In case you do not answer back or insist upon your refusal, within a period of 48 hours the «CIUDAD DE LINARES» Organizing Committee would consider your one-sided decision as a complete disrespect and lack professionalism inappropiate for a player who is now starting the World Champion reign, and breaking the most basic laws of credibility. We would consider your withdrawal from Linares as fear of failure in this Tournament, since you would have to demostrate that your title as the FIDE World Champion has not been a consequence of good luck. If you play in Linares versus the real G.M. you still have not confronted, you would demostrate, in turn, your valid and professional responsability, as Khalifman did previously. We assume that a bad classification in the «CIUDAD DE LINARES» would make difficult for you to show the whole world and future sponsors your status as a top-class chess player.
As a consequence of all this, I make you know that, within a period of 48 hours, The Organizing Committee will start the following legal actions:
1.- A libel suit for breach of contract will be brought to the Court of Justice of the City of Linares.
2.- As a lawsuit for breach of contract, you will be asked for a 1 million dollars compensation for damages to the Organization, sponsors and mass media.
3.- A worldwide press conference will be called both in Madrid and Moscow, coinciding with the Organizing Committee's stay in the Aeroflot Open where we will announce your breach, fear of failure, lack of professionalism and responsability, and make all the sponsors know that your signature on a contract is not credible, insisting that the real reason is FEAR to play with the G.M. of Linares.
4.- You will be declared as «persona non grata» in the «CIUDAD DE LINARES», breaking any kind of realtionship from now on.
5.- During our Tournament we will get in touch with the organizers of the best world Tournaments (Holland, Germany) suggesting them to avoid your hiring, since you agree on the signed commitments due to their lack of value.
6.- Just to finish, in the name of the Organizing Committee I would like to express our deepest wish of your participation in Linares, thus avoiding the previous legal actions. It is not our intention, due to your youth, to damage your career as a chess player you are already starting. We would like to insist again on the necessity of making your consultants know the damage you will make to organizers and the world of chess in case you do not agree on the undertaken commitments with the XIX «CIUDAD DE LINARES» International Chess Tournament.
Sincerely waiting for your participation, I send you my best wishes,
Juan Fernandez Gutierrez
Mayor of Linares
President of the Organizing Committee
Linares, January 28th, 2002
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