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1994-01-05
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EVANS ON CHESS. October 22, 1993. Copyright by GM Larry Evans.
AN AMERICAN AGENDA
America's relations with FIDE, the 150-nation world chess body, are at a
crossroad. With the emergence of two titleholders -- one sanctioned by FIDE,
the other by the professional Chess Association (PCA) -- the 70,000-member
United States Chess Federation (USCF) must decide whom to recognize as world
champion, and what foreign policy to adopt.
The answer to the first question ought to be obvious. The PCA's Gary Kasparov
is not only the highest rated player in history, he already vanquished
Anatoly Karpov in several title matches. Further, FIDE now has no credibility
after lying about raising a $2.8 million prize fund when it never had a cent.
The second question is tougher and requires a brief tutorial. In 1972 Bobby
Fischer was the first outsider to break Russia's grip on the crown, but he
abdicated after a Soviet-dominated FIDE nixed his conditions.
Many critics who found his demands unapalatable were even more outraged when
Karpov seized the title by default and then wrested a bigger mathematical
edge than Bobby had sought. Ever the lone wolf, Fischer vanished in the
California sunset vowing never to play chess again under FIDE's unfair rules.
In 1982 Florencio Campomanes, a Filipino, was elected president of FIDE by
forging an alliance of Third World and Communist nations, for whom he did
many favors. Western influence in FIDE reached its nadir.
Our FIDE delegation alleged that America was powerless with only one vote
among such a large body of nations. One FIDE scandal followed another, yet we
made no effort to exert leadership. Instead we were told that America could
only get along by going along. And we did.
"The USCF has been spineless for so long that it would take a true revolution
to get them to take a stand," noted Tim Hanke, managing editor of American
Chess Journal. "Maybe FIDE wouldn't be such an embarrassment to the world if
our own representatives weren't such an embarrassment to us."
But America has a rare opportunity to reform the way FIDE does business. Just
as this country performed wonders recently in the UN, and just as our Olympic
committee kept the games out of Red China, so the USCF surely can assert its
moral authority in a rotten world chess organization.
The Friends of the USCF, chaired by this writer, outlined an American agenda
designed to save FIDE from itself. Some key points:
1. Withhold dues until all nations pay their dues and FIDE
provides full financial disclosure.
2. FIDE should concentrate on its traditional role in promoting
Olympiads and junior championships and let PCA run professional chess.
3. Chess and politics must be completely divorced, and never
again is an Olympiad to be held in a place where all nations in
good standing are not welcome. To clear away Cold War debris,
FIDE must apologize for banning famous grandmasters whose "crime"
was playing chess where and when they pleased.