200 Words
by Lev Khariton
http://www.pakchess.com/

Email your comments to:



September 5th, 2003
"Does Kasparov have the privilege to play another title match with the
winner of FIDE KO World Championsship-2003? He who destroyed the World
Championship system and broke away from FIDE… "

The hard-earned and yet precious experience of life in totalitarian and
democratic countries has taught me that whatever happens in high places,
whether it be a political happening, a scientific discovery, or even a chess
event, it never reaches directly the wide circles of people, or it is
distorted and most frequently hushed up. This is exactly what we are
witnessing today regarding the world chess reunification, namely, the World
Championship Match between Ponomariov and Ilyumzhinov.

From the very start when in May 2002 the decisions of the Prague chess
summit were announced, it was clear, at least to me, that the whole thing
(or rather the project orchestrated by Seirawan) was a 100% fake. By these
decisions FIDE admitted that all the KO World Championships were so to speak
“half-championships” without the participation of Kasparov and Kramnik.
Also, it was obvious that Kasparov who had for so long boycotted FIDE did
not need the FIDE title. What he needed was the big pie, the FIDE prize
money. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov knew that this money was coming (or had come) and
he needed, like a good fisherman, a good bait. And Kasparov was there! So,
the chess circus got into full swing! The deal between Kasparov and
Ilyumzhinov was sealed by the signatures under the Prague Accords, and both
knew they would pocket the lump sum of money without a single chess move on
the board.

Some of my critics complain that Lev Khariton always asks questions without
giving answers and he even knows the answers. I can assure them that I do
not know the answers. As to my questions, I believe it is the duty of any
writer or journalist to pose questions and together with the readers he
should seek the answers. Unfortunately, today when the chess world is in a
terrible crisis, everyone is silent, and that proves my view: “something is
rotten in the State of Denmark”, no one wants to tell us the real truth what
has happened, why the match between Kasparov and Ponomariov has been
cancelled. What remains for us is to read between the lines!

So, my questions a

1.Why was Ilyumzhinov so prompt in canceling the match? Why didn’t he try to
meet both Kasparov and Ponomariov in person, as the latter proposed him to
do, to seek the way out of the stand-off?

2. Why didn’t Kasparov who presumably wanted to play (and win!) this match
accept the cancellation of the match? Isn’t Kirsan’s decision to cancel the
match reminiscent of Campomanes’ decision to abort the first match between
Karpov and Kasparov in February 1985? (Those who read my notes “Poor
Garik!..” in UN-LEASH remember the phone talk between Kasparov and Keene
which was the conspiracy that initiated the demise of the World Championship
system. So, all really crucially important decisions are taken behind the
scenes and the public is always absolutely unaware of them and their
motivations).

3.Why, now being reintegrated into the FIDE system, does Kasparov have the
privilege to play another title match with the winner of FIDE KO World
Championsship-2003? He who destroyed the World Championship system and broke
away from FIDE…

4.I wish I could side with Ponomariov. But why is he silent? Does he agree
with Ilyumzhinov’s decision? Or may be, he is happy to play, as it is being
rumored an ‘rapid chess’ match with Karpov for the money presumably meant
for his encounter with Kasparov? May be, Kirsan’s decision was not so much
of a surprise for Ruslan?

5.Where is the chess world – chess fans, leading chess players and chess
journalists? Are they also part of the FIDE hoax? Don’t they all feel that
they are being taken in for a good ride – like babies on a sunny day?

Some time will pass by, and all those who are silent now will regret that
they did not ask questions. They have the right, and this is their moral
obligation, to know the answers and the truth today.

LEV KHARITON