Is there any way to save the Reunification Championship?

Is It Possible to Save the Consolidating Championship?
Mikhail Golubev, 16 January 2003

The offered text is a part of the first four tours of "Corus tournament
 - 2003" review that has been prepared on 16 January 2003. To a 
sufficient extent, it is not so much a summary of my personal 
speculations on the current situation around the world championship but 
rather a summary of the intensive correspondence with the colleagues - 
grandmasters and chess journalists from all sorts of countries around 
the world - who are concerned with the existing state of things. I am 
publishing this fragment as a separate material, and have no objections 
whatsoever against its being re-printed or distributed (provided, 
however, that no alterations are made and the source of publication and 
the date are indicated). I ask, as well, that any amendment and 
abridgment of the text is co-ordinated with me by e-mail: 
gmi@europe.com
(Ì.G. 16.1.2003).

It should seem very strange that the evident essence and background of 
the conflict between Ruslan Ponomariov and FIDE are still obscured by 
the argument about time control and priority (absence of the priority) 
of the FIDE world champion Ponomariov in case the match ends in a draw. 
I don't know whether FIDE entertained hopes to somehow "control" the 
opinion of its champion through third parties, or was not just able to 
display a respectful attitude towards the eighteen year old champion of 
the world (there's always the first time, as the history tells, and one 
has to learn by bumping his head), but there are signs that Ruslan 
Ponomariov was from the very beginning (and it began in spring 2002) 
actually estranged from the process of negotiations and consolidation. 
The second error of FIDE, i.e. a participation of the all-world chess 
organization in the preparation for the forthcoming match "Kasparov - 
Computer", became a capital error and, actually, annihilated the chance 
for accord that has troubled the chess world so much. The balance of 
the world strongest chess players' interests turned to be completely 
upset. True to say, as early as in 2001 the next 16th FIDE world 
champion (later it was Ponomariov who had won it) was promised, at 
least these were the words of FIDE President, as the mass media 
announced, to play the match against the strongest machine programme 
anyway. The essence of consolidation was, above all, to put together 
two champions and the rating leader within a frame of the single 
championship. How was it possible not to consider the interests of 
these chess players on an equal basis? By the end of September Ruslan 
Ponomariov has lost his chief coach whose health succumbed to stress, 
derogation of his pupil's rights, the pressure on himself, half-words 
and a many-months expectation of the FIDE congress.  

...Certainly, Garry Kimovich Kasparov, being the most known chess player 
of the world, was entitled to get as high as possible fee in any 
unofficial match. However, from the ethical viewpoint, FIDE did not 
have the right to participate in that! It is surprising as well that 
FIDE supported the Kasparov's match while the FIDE President, being a 
countryman of one of the contestants, should have avoided even a hint 
of double standards with respect to the participants. Much can be 
somehow understood and explained - including the fact that FIDE 
experienced so high euphoria because of making peace with Garry 
Kasparov, its opponent for many years, that it just forgot about the 
existence of FIDE's own champion.  Still, should Ponomariov ratify a 
further trample of his own interests if the international federation 
would not restore the required status quo with respect to the leading 
chess players? Surely, it is for the FIDE world champion to decide. 
Anyway, we could not but remark that the development of the situation, 
persistence of the international federation's representatives and the 
furious resistance of Ruslan Ponomariov do not leave any grounds to 
hope that his signing of the contract  (under an unprecedented 
pressure) within the frame of the formula, that has been proposed to 
Ponomariov by the international federation until now, may have anything 
in common with the spirit of chess world consolidation. The other 
options, e.g. proclaiming Kasparov world champion without playing or an 
announcement of Kasparov's match against the other opponent will be 
similarly disastrous.  

Is it possible now, despite everything, to save the consolidation 
championship? Starting from the autumn FIDE Congress in Bled, Ruslan 
Ponomariov insists on getting priority in case of the draw in his match 
against Kasparov (which would not contradict chess traditions and would 
have confirmed the equal status of Ponomariov and Kramnik who is the 
world champion according to the historical version and enjoys the same 
priority in the parallel match versus Leko). Ponomariov's second demand 
concerns retention of FIDE time control in his match against Kasparov, 
as Ponomariov became the world champion under the same time control 
rule. This requirement correlates more than well with the chess 
tradition and common sense though comes in conflict with the FIDE's 
strategic idea to come back to the classical time control. FIDE does 
not accede to the world champion terms, at any rate not in the full 
volume, and the situation appears to be in an absolute deadlock for a 
long time.

However, the normal way out of the situation should exist, and is, 
probably, not unique. The resolution that considers realities of the 
moment and does not envisage any frantic steps, like disqualification 
of Ponomariov or making changes in the underway programme of Kasparov's 
match versus computer in New York. If FIDE's nowadays' goal is not to 
facilitate Garry Kasparov's win of the champion's title in the shortest 
time possible (with such approach that causes a worry in the chess 
world, the situation is really hopeless and may not be resolved 
normally), but to ensure arrangement of the consolidating world 
championship with a return to the classical time control, then, for 
instance, there should exist no obstacles to leave the chess world 
champion title with Ruslan Ponomariov under any outcome of the 
semi-final consolidating match (which should not have the world 
championship status)  until the final consolidating match is completed. 
 Taking a hypothetical case when Ponomariov gives up to Kasparov and 
loses his title, it is only on completion of the final transition to 
the classical control, which means on completion of the consolidating 
final, when the new FIDE world champion may be announced (if he is not 
Ponomariov) that he may lose his title.  Should it turns impossible to 
arrange the consolidating tournament with the classical time control 
that has been promised to the chess community (i.e. the encounters 
between the winners of the matches Ponomariov - Kasparov and Kramnik - 
Leko), FIDE shall be obliged to return to holding  matches with the 
FIDE control (yes, it is just now that FIDE should take on a 
responsibility for what happens after the Ponomariov - Kasparov match, 
including the case when the winner of Kramnik - Leko match would refuse 
to play in the consolidating final). Under all these circumstances 
Ruslan Ponomariov will not lose, even for a moment, the FIDE world 
champion title and all associated rights and privileges, irrespective 
of the outcome of the match against Kasparov with the classical 
control. Which is quite reasonable as Ponomariov has won the champion 
title in the FIDE control championship and nothing else but the 
completed transition to the classical control should deprive him of the 
world champion title. There is an opinion that the match Ponomariov - 
Kasparov does not make sense if it would not have the world 
championship status. However, the truth is in the opposite: the match 
Ponomariov - Kasparov is just aimless if it is conducted otherwise 
than, primarily, the semi-final consolidating match because the 
unprecedented decision to give the rating leader the right to play with 
the champion can be justified by converging all existing championships 
into a single system only. 

It is beyond any doubt that the sponsors' interests demand a particular 
thoroughness in the representation and selection of the official title 
of the match in case it is not the FIDE world championship match, which 
I think is correct. The emphasis should be upon the words consolidation 
and classical (meaning the time control) but not upon the word 
semi-final. If it is impossible to observe the interests of sponsors 
even upon these terms, then the Kasparov - Ponomariov match winner may 
be awarded a special intermediary title of FIDE world champion of 
competitions with the classical time control, which would be absolutely 
independent (!) of Ruslan Ponomariov's current title. Both Garry 
Kasparov and Ruslan Ponomariov will be able to win this intermediary 
title (in such case Ruslan Ponomariov will be able to claim a 
simultaneous possession of two world champion titles). In doing so, it 
should be strictly and beforehand stipulated that this intermediary 
title (FIDE world champion of competitions with the classical time 
control) may not (by any reasons) get any further developmen, should 
the final consolidating match Kramnik - Leko do not take place within 
the previously defined temporal period, and FIDE will have to return to 
the world championships with FIDE control (after the end of the first 
of such FIDE world championships the intermediary title should be, most 
probably, automatically abolished), and if the final consolidating 
match with the Kramnik - Leko match winner do takes place, the 
intermediary title (FIDE world champion of competitions with the 
classical time control) will also be abolished (which is  absolutely a 
matter of principle) immediately upon the end of the final 
consolidating match, when its winner (Ponomariov, Kramnik or Leko) 
obtains the more honorary title of FIDE world champion, that is owned 
nowadays (and will own in accordance with everything I propose now 
until the end of the final consolidating match) by the Ukrainian 
grandmaster Ruslan Ponomariov.

...This is my personal proposal that I did not discuss until now with 
any of the supposed participants of the consolidating championship or 
their official representatives. The proposal may seem artificial, 
however... the entire consolidating process is artificial as well (in 
particular - the key match Ponomariov - Kasparov at this stage). From 
many a viewpoint, to destroy anything is more "natural" than to build. 
I consider that, after the conflict entered the open phase, it is high 
time for the independent chess specialists concerned with the future 
world championship to have their say. Probably, other people would try 
to propose a more optimized option, and I shall be happy if such 
attempt turns to be a success. The balance of interests should be 
ensured anyway. To commence the consolidating championship with so 
apparent understatement of the existing champion status would mean to 
lay the foundation stone for a new split-off of the chess world for 
many years ahead.

(This version is prepared by the Ukrainian translator.)