Kirsan Ilyumzhinov visit to Odessa

Ivanchuk supports the FIDE President

On May 29, 2010, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov had an official working visit to Odessa, where he took part in the opening ceremony of the ACP World Rapid Cup. At the opening ceremony the President noted the great interest of chess fans for this event. Sergey Karjakin became the winner of the ACP Cup. In the interview with Ukrainian media the President noted that one of the challenges the FIDE is facing today is the inclusion of chess in the Olympic Games.

On May 30, 2010, the President arrived with an official working visit to the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. The same day he attended the meeting of the Chess Federation of Kyrgyzstan. It was decided to elect the President of Kyrgyzstan Chess Federation, the renowned scientist, chess lover and patron Zhanishbek Nazaraliev, as well as to support the candidacy of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the upcoming presidential election for FIDE.

In Bishkek Kirsan Ilyumzhinov met with the Kalmyk diaspora resided in Kyrgyzstan, during the meeting the issues of cooperation between the Kalmyk diaspora with the government, public organizations and the mass media of Kalmykia were discussed.

On the next day at the press conference for Kyrgyz media Kirsan Ilyumzhinov spoke about the socio-economic and cultural development of Kalmykia and the prospects for the World Chess Federation.

Ivanchuk supports Ilyumzhinov

The leader of Ukrainian chess - Vassily Ivanchuk in his interview to "Vzgliad iz Odessy" said he was in favour of the incumbent President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov taking this position again.

Ivanchuk preferred Ilyumzhinov to the other candidate - the 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov. Vassily's reason was that with Ilyumzhinov the life of chess professionals has become better.

As for the version that it would be much easier for Karpov, who is better known in the sport world outside chess, than Ilyumzhinov, to "promote" inclusion of chess into the programme of the Olympics, Ivanchuk thinks that first, it is not a fact. Second, Ivanchuk, with all due respect to wrestlers and athletes, has no wish to participate in the same Olympic Games with them, and prefers that chess stays aside, having its own Olympiad, as it is now.