Bulgaria to Host World Chess Title Match between Anand, Topalov
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Anand (left) and Topalov (right) are going to have a face-off for the world chess title in Sofia in March 2010. Photo by EPA/BGNES
The World Chess Federation FIDE approved Bulgaria to host the World Championship Match in March 2010.
Thus, the current world champion Viswanathan Anand will face Bulgaria’s chess master Veselin Topalov, who is currently number one in the FIDE world ranking (Anand is second).
The match for the world chess title will be held in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. Bulgaria submitted its bid to host the game in late September 2009 during the FIDE Congress in Halkidiki, Greece. The other two bidders to host the world chess title match were Turkey and Singapore.
The holding of the World Championship Match in Sofia has been financially guaranteed by the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, who pledged 100% backing by the Bulgarian state for the initiative.
The World Championship Match in 2010 will be the single greatest chess event to ever take place in Bulgaria.
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It is strange that a country that has no funds for almost anything, including sports is issuing a guarantee that helps only a millionaire that lives in Spain since many years and that has never participated in a Bulgarian championship.
It is also strange that the guarantee is not a bank guarantee (the only usual and legally binding form of a guarantee), but a letter of Mr. Borisov to Mr. Ilyumshinov, the man with the highest income in the Russian Federation. (He is also the president of Kalmykia and introduced polygamy there.)
"A guarantee was presented as a letter by the Bulgarian Prime Minister. In the letter to FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov the Prime Minister stated that for technical reasons no formal bank guarantee could be provided, but that the Bulgarian government would guarantee the total costs of three million Euros (two million prize fund, 20% FIDE fees and the rest for organisational costs). The letter further stated that "neutrality would be guaranteed" (from the chessbase webpage).
Since when is a government entitled to 'guarantee neutrality'? This is up to the organizers. Or are we still living in the times of stalinism? Mr. Borisov acts as if Bulgaria was his private property.
Although I am a big chess fan, it is a shame that the game is in the hands of such doubtful creatures like Mr. Danailov, Mr. Ilyumzhinov and Mr. Borisov.
