PAST NEWS

Main Chess News 1.5.2002- 15.1.2003


7.1 Einstein group reply:

All the participants in the Dortmund Chess Tournament have now been paid.

Einstein can confirm it has experienced financial problems over the course of 2002. These problems were greatly exacerbated by the position the company was left in by Brain Games Network plc, following the purchase of the chess assets from them.

Einstein faced an unexpected shortfall of ˆ90,000 in the Dortmund event due to the problems it was left by Brain Games. Einstein was forced to fund this shortfall from its own resources. This was entirely unexpected and has caused considerable problems.

We have had minimal contact with Madame Ojjeh since Dortmund and can confirm that the payment issues are entirely Einstein's problem.

Einstein has now completed its re-financing and is confident that it can meet its World Championship obligations.

Steve Timmins
Chief Executive Officer
Einstein Group plc

16.1 Fide about Ponomarev case:

.........................................................................
FIDE cannot continue to wait indefinitely for a World Champion, who on the one hand, claims that he is prepared to accept the principles of the Prague Agreement, and that he is ready to defend his title against GM G. Kasparov, and on the other hand, fails to meet with its officials or even sign the declaration that he will play the match. In order not to be held hostage any more and in order to avoid any misunderstandings, the President of FIDE is holding consultations with members of the Presidential Board and shall announce the Board’s decision in due course.

Gens una sumus

Emmanuel Omuku

Executive Director

Full text: link above in right corner.

14.1 Conflict "Einstein Group" - Mrs. Nahed Ojjeh . Press release below.

NAO CHESS CLUB

Press release Paris, 14th January 2003

Mrs. Nahed OJJEH, President of NAO Chess Club, has decided to break all relations with the Einstein group. Since its creation, NAO Chess Club and its president Mrs. Nahed OJJEH have been seeking the development as well as the reunification of the world of chess. In that spirit, in July 2002, to guarantee the success of the "Candidates Tournament", first phase of the reunification process, Mrs. OJJEH put up a prize-fund of 300,000 Euros. The Einstein Group, in charge of the event, did not respect its engagement. It did not pay out the whole sum allocated to the players for the tournament. Some participants, among them Evgeny BAREEV and Boris GELFAND, were not paid. For the past four months, NAO's inquiries have remained unanswered by the Einstein Group. The Einstein Group claims it is not responsible, giving false excuses. This is both scandalous and unacceptable. These carry prejudices to the players and discredit the world of chess. The NAO Chess Club and its President cannot be responsible for such behavior and in consequence have decided to break all relations with the Einstein Group.

NAO CHESS CLUB


13.1 Ponomarev-FIDE scandal.Ponomarev protest vs.Prague conditions.

The FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov has published an Open Letter to the FIDE President. It was first published in Russian. The English translation is by Zoya Vlassova, Chess Today

To: Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,
FIDE President

Dear Mr. President,

I would like to inform you that on 11-12th January 2003 I had a meeting in Wijk aan Zee (the Netherlands) with Mr. G. Makropoulos, FIDE First Vice-President, and Mr. Z. Azmaiparashvili, FIDE Vice-President. Unfortunately, despite my frequent requests and requests from the Ukrainian Chess Federation to obtain official minutes of the FIDE General Assembly decisions (made in Bled in November 2002), concerning reunification World Chess Championship and Prague Agreements, we have not received such documents. I believe that it is necessary to make a bilateral contract between FIDE and me, World Champion, for the Ponomariov-Kasparov Unification World Championship match. While I share with FIDE big responsibility for the unification of the chess world, I request keeping to generally accepted international laws and procedures.

Regretfully, a number of previous FIDE projects have not been put into practice. FIDE Grand Prix 2002 series broke off after two tournaments instead of five planned. No match was organised between FIDE World Champion and World Champion among Computer Programs. There is also no clear vision of the next World Championship Cycle. The only thing we have now is unapproved project of World Chess Championship for 2003-2005.

Unfortunately, nobody consulted with me as FIDE World Champion while Prague Agreements were being developed and signed. The meeting in Wijk aan Zee should have contributed to further advancement of the unification of the chess world. However, Mr. President, I would like to draw your attention that staging such negotiations during my participation in tournaments should not be acceptable in the future.

For my part, I confirm once again my support of the Prague Agreements and my readiness to meet in a match with Mr. Garry Kasparov, official FIDE Challenger.

Yours sincerely,
Ruslan Ponomariov,
World Champion

Wijk aan Zee, 12.01.2003

6.1. Kramnik will play in Linares (22.2-8.3)

20.12. Karpov-Kasparov 2.5-1.5
Kasparov will play 6 games match vs. computer in New York 26.1-7.2

30.11. Forty years after (1962)- Korchnoi 1-st on Curacao!
4.11. Corsika final : Anand-Karpov 4-2
30.10. Cap d'Adge- Final : Karpov-Gelfand 0-2

19.10. Kramnik-computer: final result 4-4

11.9 Russia- "World" Final score: 52.0-48.0 for the "World".

1.9.02 Kramnik had won Moscow blitz 15.5(19)

19.8.02 Anand-Ponomarev 4.5-3.5 V.Bologan had won rapid Open in Mainz
16.8.02 Peter Svidler had won first Fisherandom Open : 9 from 11.
15.8.02 Fischerandom Open in Mainz (130 participants)

14.8.02 Chess festival in Mains is opened.Ponomarev simultant(+30, -2, =8)

Dortmund, 19.7.2002 Final: 2.5 - LEKO-Topalov - 1.5

LEKO will play match vs. Kramnik for world title!

FIDE react (31.5) on letter of grandmasters (27.5)

6.5 Agreement for chess "unity" signed in PRAHA.