Karpov and Ilyumzhinov were provided with moral support for their candidature to FIDE Presidency
FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, who today withdrew his candidacy for the Presidency of the Russian Chess Federation (RCF), spoke about the moral support he, together with Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov, received from the 13th Congress of the RCF as an eligible candidate for the Presidency of FIDE. – I withdrew my candidacy for the office of President of the Russian Chess Federation, in order to concentrate myself on the impending FIDE presidential election. Or, rather, on my trips abroad. Because of the new sanctions against our country, it became much more difficult for me [to promote my candidacy for a new term as FIDE President]. I had planned to visit 25 countries before September, but now I will have to visit 35-40. But this struggle is now even more interesting. I’ve already traveled the African continent, I still have to visit Americas, as well as some European countries. Since Monday I have started traveling. – How do you asses the Congress’s decision to support not only you but also Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov as a candidate for the office of FIDE President? – Fine. I applied back in December. I am on the list with all support. Well, I already ran against Anatoly Yevgenyevich in 2010. And then I won. As well as in 2014 against Kasparov. It’s not my first time against World Chess Champions... I’ve already got the nomination from many countries. It takes no fewer than five countries’s nomination to apply as a candidate. I’ve already received support from several dozen countries. For me, the support of the RCF is just moral. Moreover, on July 21, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin approved my nomination and wished me success. And today’s vote added more moral support. I’m convinced I had not been working in vain in Russia and the regions since the 1990s. And in Kalmykia I built the only one world’s Chess City. And I organised and hosted 14 Russian Chess Championships among men and women. I’m not superfluous, after all, for the Russian Chess Federation. I have been already nominated by the Federations of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, many African countries, Asian, European. Now I received moral support from Russia too. – Why did you insist that they should support you today, and not in May? – As one of the delegates today said, I need to visit many countries. In 2014 I visited 108 countries, through the whole year. May was too late. Otherwise what? When I am visiting and I’m asked: “And what about Russians that don’t support you?”. Now I received moral support, Ilyumzhinov said. |
(Free translation by Nobody’s Perfect)
