Blowin’ in the Wind

FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich (pictured above) held an exhaustive press conference in RIA Novosti on October 12, 2018 in which he answered various questions from the journalists. After expressing his gratitude to the members of his team who helped and supported him — and to the Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, in particular — Dvorkovich remarked how, at the moment, his priority is to fulfil the promises made before the elections. One of the most controversial issues is, of course, the impending 64-player Women’s World Chess Championship Knockout Tournament, to be held from 2–23 November in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia — a “format” which received severe criticism by Dvorkovich himself and that caused four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) to withdraw from women’s chess realm in favour of her university studies. “We began to discuss the possibility of reforming the Women’s World Championship system”, Dvorkovich said. “For now the Women’s World Chess Champion is 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) from China. She won the title in a Women’s World Chess Championship match last spring, but she will have to take part in the November Women’s World Championship Knockout Tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk. If 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) won’t defend successfully her title, we’ll have a new World Champion. I think that this alternating format system has produced so many Women’s World Champions that its credibility has been undermined by now. We actually promised to reform the system so as to make it similar to the men’s World Chess Championship system. I guess such a change could be possibly completed within two years. I hope I will be able to announce specific details in the next few weeks”. One might think that if 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn) were so lucky to escape the “Slavic offensive”, the two-year transition period could shorten itself quite drastically. Whatever it will be like, however, Dvorkovich does not put limits to Providence: “In any event, the new system will feature a Candidates Tournament which will produce a challenger for the reigning Women’s Champion, though I cannot yet say when and how. But one thing is sure: the upcoming Women’s World Championship in Khanty-Mansiysk will be an end and a beginning at the same time”. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.