February 12, 2008
To: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, FIDE President
Georgios Makropoulos, Chairman, World Championship Committee
office@fide.com kalmykia@center.ru ; fide@inbox.ru
Gentlemen:
In response to FIDE letter dated February 11, 2008, FIDE has made a decision in accepting Bulgarian offer without consulting with GM Kamsky or taking into consideration his open opposition to holding the 2008 World Chess Championship semi-final Topalov –Kamsky match in Bulgaria.
FIDE directly favors and adopts its rules to give an advantage to the home country of GM Topalov, despite FIDE’s long recognized right of a player to object to playing a match in his opponent’s home country. GM Kamsky objects to holding the 2008 World Chess Championship semi-final Topalov –Kamsky match in Bulgaria. GM Kamsky has numerous reasons to object to playing in his opponent’s home country based on his experience at the 1996 Kamsky-Karpov match, held in Russia.
Further in its public announcement FIDE states that Bulgarian offer has been approved by the FIDE Presidential Board since June 2007, however earlier Mr. Makropoulos denied an existence of an agreement between FIDE and the Bulgarian Chess Federation, refusing to provide GM Kamsky any documentation. Accordingly, once again GM Kamsky requests that all contracts, agreements, and documents between FIDE and Bulgarian Chess Federation and/or Mr. Danailov related to either Topalov-Kamsky match and/or Topalov vs. the winner of the 2007 World Chess Cup be provided by FIDE without further delay. Notice for your convenience FIDE initial response could be in electronic format following by a paper version of all documents which pages shall have initials or other authentication by the contracting parties.
Furthermore, your clarification and relevant documentation is required regarding the following FIDE statement:
“No bidder can propose a sponsor which shall be in conflict with the regulations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).”
Finally, announced FIDE bidding rules are discouraging to potential bidders in the USA, Russia, and Spain who are less likely to put much effort into trying to make the best bid when a privileged Bulgarian bidder will learn the details of that bid and need only to match it to prevail. Therefore, on behalf of GM Kamsky, I urge you to reconsider FIDE position and to announce a more equitable bidding procedure or in alternative, due to time constraints, FIDE could allocate money from its own funds to sponsor the match in a neutral country where neither player rights are violated.
Due to the eminent urgency please respond at your earliest convenience directly to bkkrupnicklaw@optonline.net
Sincerely,
Bella Kamskaya, Esq.
Counsel for Gata Kamsky
Law Offices of Sheldon Martin Krupnick
114 Old Country Road, Suite 544
Mineola, NY 11501
E-mail: bkkrupnicklaw@optonline.net
Cc: Mr. Bill Goichberg, USCF Executive Board President:
chessoffice@aol.com
GM Kamsky kamskygata@optonline.net
_______________________________________________________
Bids for the WCC Challengers Match Kamsky - Topalov 2008
Athens, 11 February 2008
BIDS FOR THE WCC CHALLENGERS MATCH KAMSKY - TOPALOV 2008
FIDE has accepted an offer for the WCC Challengers Match Kamsky - Topalov 2008 by the Bulgarian Chess Federation. This offer included a net prize fund of 150,000 USD and has been approved by the FIDE Presidential Board since June 2007.
However, after the recent FIDE Presidential Board meeting in Singapore and following discussions with all parties involved, FIDE has decided the following in order to try to improve the financial terms and conditions for both players:
a) if by 11 April 2008, FIDE receives a bid with a net prize fund of 250,000 USD (minimum) from any country other than USA, Bulgaria, Russia and Spain, then the match will be organised in that country with the highest bid.
b) if by 11 April 2008, FIDE receives a bid with a net prize fund of 250,000 USD (minimum) from USA, Russia or Spain, the organisers in Bulgaria will be requested to match that bid by 30 May 2008. If Bulgaria matches the new bid, the event will be organised in Bulgaria. If Bulgaria refuses, then the match will be organised in the bidding country.
c) if by 11 April 2008 no such bids arrive, the match will be organised in Bulgaria with a net prize fund of 150,000 USD.
In order for a proposed bid to be considered, it should be accompanied by a 2-month term recognised bank guarantee covering the amount of prize fund (minimum 250,000 USD), the FIDE contribution (20% over and above the prize fund), and 35,000 USD covering expenses of FIDE as described in articles 3.17.4 and 3.17.5 of the match regulations. Within 30 days of a bidder being awarded the event, the amount of the bank guarantee should be transferred to the bank account of FIDE.
Each bid shall also contain the following particulars:
a) Proposed exact dates of the event between 26 November and 11 December 2008.
b) Proposed tournament venue.
c) Proposed prize fund.
d) Commitment to cover all organisation costs, in accordance with the match regulations.
e) Special rates for hotel rooms, including meals.
f) A statement that the applicant accepts the regulations of the Match without any reservations.
g) The applicant's name, signatures and authentication.
h) An invitation for at least one member of the World Chess Championship Committee to inspect the proposed venue and examine the other conditions, with all expenses paid by the bidder.
No bidder can propose a sponsor which shall be in conflict with the regulations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The bids, including all original documents and particulars, shall arrive by registered post to the FIDE Secretariat in Athens, Greece by the deadline of 11 April 2008.
Released by the FIDE Secretariat - 11 February 200
