Another World Championship impasse??
Viswanathan Anand of India is the World Champion.
OK… most chess players know this and accept this. Of course there are those who even say Anand will not be accepted until he wins the November match. Let’s hope Anand wins! Why? In my opinion, he is a fitting champion and above all the petty bickering that has nearly ruined chess in the past 36 years. However, determining next challenger for the crown may be a bit more complicated. We remember “Toiletgate” match in 2006 between Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov and Russia’s Vladimir Kramnik, right? There is now another issue.
Gata Kamsky, Topalov’s opponent, is saying that the match should not be played in Bulgaria. Last month, there was apparently a bid on the table for the match for US$250,000, but nothing else has been heard from Alexander Chernenko, Kamsky’s manager. FIDE had set forth a proposal and the deadline was April 11th. Bulgarian officials are now on the attack since FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has extended the deadline to April 23rd. A letter to FIDE was dated 10 April 2008 and an excerpt read:
The Bulgarian Chess Federation severely objects to the last decision of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and insists on FIDE giving in to outside pressure and to firmly resist any attempt for the resurrection of chaos in the world of chess, and to follow the decisions of its governing body – the Congress.
Are we headed for another impasse?
i dont think so. kamsky is doing the right thing by fighting for the venue. topalov has courupted the world championship cycle along with kramnik! and i think its time for someone to stand up. after all why should kramnik be given a rematch after he avoided kasparov for years. i dont respect either one as a champion and it should be anand and kamsky playing a match not these two children trying to write themselves in