Have you read the demands of Ponomariov?

Among other things, he is demanding to be paid $150,000 "damages" by
FIDE because his match in Argentina was cancelled when the sponsors
could not raise the money.

I may have read this wrong, but I thought he was due to get $100,000,
but is asking for an additional $50,000 (bringing the "total" to
$150,000). Either way, I don't see him getting a penny extra just
because the match was postponed.


He also demands that his match with Kasparov be deemed a semi-final
match, not a match for the World Championship. What this means is that
even if he looses the match to Kasparov, he will still be World
Champion.

Well, certainly the overall "plan" is that it is a semi-final,
culminating in a reunification match between Kasparov/Ponomariov and
Kramnik/Leko. Of course, if that match doesn't happen, then it would
seem that, "semi-final" or not, the winner would be "FIDE World
Champion".


Ponomariov seems to think that the title of World Chess Champion is
his personal property, not a title awarded by an international
sporting organization.


Yeah, he's right in line with folks like Kasparov. Problem is, of
course, is that while he has a title of "World Champion" right now, he
has very little real clout in the chess world - FIDE is holding the
cards on their side (esp. with Kasparov presumably back in their good
graces), and Kasparov has not only a much longer track record, but also
much more marketability (at least for now).

I think Ponomariov fails to realize that his moment of fame may be about
to pass him by. He may be the current FIDE World Champion, but if he
ends up defaulting because of his demands, he will probably go down in
history as merely a footnote to the world title - just like Khalifman,
and Anand (although I think Anand may have more of a chance at winning
the title in the future than Ponomariov). Playing this match with
Kasparov may be his only shot at really establishing himself as one of
the top players of the day. It's put up or shut up time for Ponomariov.

John