Congratulations to Boris Spassky on his 75th Anniversary - Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:10:37 +0000

Dear Boris Vasilievich!

It is my great pleasure to most cordially and sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of your 75th birthday, on behalf of the leadership of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), me personally and millions of your fans in all parts of the globe.

There are plenty of remarkable mementoes in your sportive chess career. You have demonstrated on many occasions your ability to concentrate and impeccably perform under very complicated circumstances. Your ability to play and your will to win is a true example for a young generation of chess players.

Thanks to you, in 1972 after your World Championship match with Bobby Fischer, the entire world learnt what chess is. For the whole chess society and not only you are a model of decency and nobility.

Your professionalism, enthusiasm, highest level of loyalty, honesty and culture as well as your modesty and kindness towards people make everyone who works with you and know you, respect you immensely.

After the termination of the active sports activities, you pass your experience to the younger generation. A chess school in Satka, Cheliabinsk region of Russia, is proudly named after you and for 10 years is a center of an active chess live in the Urals Federal district, where chess is cherished and loved. Hundreds of children in the remote places of Russia thanks to you got to know the wonderful world of chess.

I believe that these temporary health difficulties will not interfere with your future creative activities for the benefit of chess, and you will keep delighting us with your worldly wise advice and scintillating commentaries.

In my capacity as FIDE President, it is my pleasure to extend an invitation for you to be my representative at the World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand, this May.

Dear Boris Vassilievich, on this wonderful day, I would like to wish you further success, good luck, the best of health. We hope you will be always in the best of spirits and your energy will have no end. Let peace and balance always stay in your heart!


With best wishes,
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
President

Congratulation (RUS)

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov at the Moscow Open 2012 opening ceremony - Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:28:25 +0000


On Saturday 28th of January the main tournaments of RSSU International Chess Cup “Moscow Open 2012” have started. Struggle for prize-winning places was entered by 1470 chess players from 26 countries of the world, including 95 international grandmasters and 70 international masters. The age of every second of participants of competitions doesn't exceed 15 years old.

The great number of honor guests took part in the opening ceremony before the beginning of fights.

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov who has opened the ceremony named the Russian State Social University as one of the largest chess centers in the world and has thanked organizers of tournament for fine atmosphere for game in chess which they have creates.

Alexander Mishukov, acting the first deputy of chairman of Moscow Department for Physical Education and Sport has paid attention that tournament is called Moscow Open not for nothing. «Moscow is a sports capital of the world – and we are always glad for visitors», – Mishukov told.

Anatoly Karpov, the multiple World Champion, the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation has told that is glad that tournament now also named “RSSU International Cup”. He noticed that Social University strengthens the positions as the leading center of development of chess in Russia and around the world. In this University all sides of chess life are covered, daily work here is conducted: children are engaged, chess teachers prepare, refresher course are run.

Vasily Zhukov, the president of Moscow Chess Federation, has warmly thanked Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Anatoly Karpov, Vyacheslav Beresnev ex-president of Moscow Chess Federation, a management of the Moscow sports who helped Moscow Open tournament to make start. Vasily Zhukov is convinced that prizes in men and female chess competitions should be equal, therefore he has promised to increase prize fund in female tournament of RSSU Cup «Moscow Open». Protoiereus Gennady Tsurkan, the representative of the Moldavian archdiocese will help him with it. «I hope that all our chess heads follow in tracks», – added Zhukov.

After that Vasily Zhukov declared RSSU Cup «Moscow Open 2012» as opened.


Follow the daily reports http://open.moschess.ru/eng/

More photos from the Opening Ceremony

Letter from the President and Founder of Peace and Sport - Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:25:41 +0000



Letter from Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of "Peace and Sport, L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport”.

We remind you that Peace and Sport and FIDE had a joint project in Palestine "Chess for Leadership and Creativity", a programme dedicated to young Arab women.

Bidding procedure for the 2016 Chess Olympiad and FIDE Congress - Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:59:28 +0000

FIDE is hereby opening a bidding procedure for the 2016 Chess Olympiad and FIDE Congress in connection with a possible bid for the 2015 FIDE World Cup.

1. Bids should reach FIDE Office not later than 31 May 2012, 13:00 GMT, by email, fax or registered post, address: 9 Syggrou Ave., 11743 Athens - Greece, fax: (+30) 2109212859, email: office@fide.com

2. Bids should guarantee that all necessary provisions mentioned in the Olympiad Regulations of the FIDE Handbook will be covered by the Organiser (including articles 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3).

Federations/Organisers who intend to respond to the bidding procedure of the 2016 Olympiad and Congress are kindly requested to note the following:

a) The wording for the required bank guarantee has to cover the following obligations of the appointed organizer:

1. Failure to organise the Chess Olympiad due to take place in 2016.
2. Failure to present further bank guarantees as required under the Olympiad Regulations.
3. Failure to pay the successful bidder's fee of USD 350,000.
4. Failure to meet obligations, financial or otherwise, as agreed in the contract between FIDE and the Organizing Committee of the Chess Olympiad 2016, especially concerning playing halls and full board hotel accommodation.

b) Inspection at the proposed venues will be made between 1st June and 1st August 2012. Each bidder will bear all travel and hotel expenses for two inspectors, in accordance with FIDE standards. The FIDE General Assembly in September 2012 will then decide the organiser of the event. After receiving all bids, the bidders will be informed about the exact procedure of bid presentations, which will be in accordance with the previous practice in the last four years.

The successful bidder/organiser will be asked to sign a contract with FIDE, which will include all requirements according to the Olympiad Regulations and the FIDE check-list for the events.

c) If FIDE receives a bid or bids offering to organise both the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 Olympiad & Congress, and provided such bid(s) are in accordance with all FIDE provisions, FIDE will only consider these bids during its General Assembly in September 2012.

Released by the FIDE Secretariat, 30-11-2011

Press-Release

Bid Procedure for 2014 FIDE Events - Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:52:04 +0000

REGULATIONS

A. Open for Bids FIDE Events

B. Deadlines:

Deadline for the 2014 events is 1st March 2012

All bids to be submitted by the due dates in sealed envelopes to the FIDE Secretariat. 
Address: 9 Siggrou Avenue, Athens, Greece 11743

With effect from 1 January 2012, the following timelines shall be observed:-

·         1 March – Deadline for Bids

·         30  June – Completion of Inspection Visits

·         31 July – Deadline for submission of Evaluation Reports

·         General Assembly/Executive Board to Award successful bids.

C. Bid fees:

All bids for 2014  must be accompanied with a bid fee:

 2.000 Euro  – World Youth; 

 1.000 Euro  – World Junior; 

    500 Euro  – all other FIDE competitions

Bid Fees are not refundable. Bid fees should be paid the latest by 8st March 2012 to the FIDE bank account (free of charges) or to be enclosed in the bid envelope.

D. Deposit fees:

Deposit fees should be paid the latest one month after the official notification that a FIDE event granted to a National Federation. Deposit fees can be paid to the FIDE Bank account or by a bank guarantee sent to FIDE without any terms. When the event has been successfully concluded the deposit fee shall be credited to the account of the organizing federation or refunded.

E. Inspections

Inspection Visits shall be made by an Event Inspector (EI) nominated by the Presidential Board (PB) and the EVE. Ideally, the EI shall be chosen from the same continent of the bidder.

The cost of  Inspection Visits – travel and per diem – shall be covered by FIDE. The bidder shall be responsible for hosting the EI with a double-room and meals for the duration of not more than two working days.

FIDE EVENTS COMMISSION

http://events.fide.com/

Meeting with the President of Bulgaria Mr Georgi Parvanov - Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:22:39 +0000
Sofia 16.12.2009 - FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov met with the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov today in Sofia. Mr Parvanov expressed his satisfaction that Bulgaria will organise the World Championship Match 2010 and he assured the FIDE President that the event will be held successfully and on the highest level.

At the same time, Mr Georgi Parvanov informed the FIDE President that the Bulgarian Chess Federation will propose its own candidate for the position of President of the European Chess Union in the elections to be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, September 2010.

New FIDE web sites - Resources for federations, lots for kids - Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:21:47 +0000

Federations, do you want more resources? Parents, do you want your children to play chess?
Children, do you want a rating? Do you want to be on the same ladder as World Champion Anand?

Student Member web site - NEW - in 9 languages  At sm.fide.com register children for educational material and monthly newsletter - FREE



Premium Student Member web site - NEW - in 9 languages At psm.fide.com upgrade to Premium for just 10 euros - kids get RATING and much more



Please take a closer look (especially federation officials) at the CiS Manifesto and Roadmap to find answers to your questions: What is Student Membership? How will your federation benefit?

 cis_manifesto__roadmap.pdf

Gens Una Sumus, We Are One Family
   our children are our future!


CIS Manifesto  - Big or small - Your children need you!
 

Are you big or are you small? Whichever you are, there is something here for you. If you are one of the world’s largest federations, your budget may rival or even surpass that of FIDE. If you are small, your annual budget may be only USD 30,000, or even less.

But are you as big as you want to be, as large as you ought to be? In our view, the answer is a clear "no." One of you has about 80,000 members, half of them juniors. However, that same federation has at least 500,000 (maybe a million) children playing chess in schools across the country.

An 8% conversion rate is not bad in historical terms, but what if it were 20% or 30%? Wouldn't that make a big difference to your federation? Not just directly to your finances, but to your NUMBERS, and it is those numbers that carry weight, especially with potential sponsors. If you are small, growing your numbers will make an even bigger difference proportionately.

FIDE has been accused of doing nothing to acquire sponsors. Such accusations are entirely unfounded, but it is true that we have not yet been entirely successful. FIDE has found many sponsors in the past quarter of a century, but most of them have been municipalities or from Russia. Let's think about Russia - why is it that so many events are supported by Russian sponsors? To us, the answer seems simple.  Russia is one of very few countries that has already managed to build both an audience and a vault of potential sponsors because all the leading businessmen know about chess, they can play, they were brought up with it. It is that background that facilitates finding sponsors. The more children who encounter chess, the better. When they grow up, graduate and move into business and political life, so there will be an audience for chess and a business and political elite willing and able to support chess organizations to feed that audience.

Let us help you to build your federation and your chess in schools programme. Our objective is to be able to generate more income for each and every federation than you pay to FIDE, much more. This reversal of flow of funds is something new for FIDE. For FIFA it is easy because of their huge income from the sale of TV rights. Regrettably, there is no such interest in the TV rights for chess events.

To try and achieve these dual objectives (numbers and money for you), we have instituted FIDE Student Membership as part of our Chess in Schools programme. Originally, we had planned to  phase this  in with the CIS100 franchise modules, but we soon realised that the scope is much wider.

Why should you promote FIDE Student Membership, rather than just push on trying to recruit more juniors directly to your federation? We believe that Student Membership offers additional advantages, especially the two Unique Selling Points. The USP of Premium Membership (€10 per annum, of which FIDE will take only €1) is a FIDE Student Rating. The USP of Basic Membership is that it is FREE (at no cost to you). We believe that this can reach youngsters that national federation membership may not attract, but you will benefit either way, especially if these children go on to take up BOTH memberships (Student and national federation), and we will be pushing them to do just that.

Let us stress again, since there is so much cynicism and so many suspicious minds (especially in the media), that this is designed to help your  federation and our multinational chess family build towards the objective of 1,000,000,000 chess players on the planet.

Gens Una Sumus    - Get in touch, let’s talk.  But first, read on …

What do you need to do to take advantage of this initiative?

There are five options:

1. You can apply ('bid') to become a CIS100 project country.
2. If you are a federation from a ‘small’ country (population less than one million), you can apply (‘bid’) to become a CIS30 project country.
3. If you are a ‘small’ federation (less than 2,000 members) you can apply for ‘seeding’.
4. If you are a big federation, you don’t need free boards and sets, nor seed capital, but we can probably help you with guidance – the experience drawn from hundreds of initiatives in dozens of countries.
5. Any federation can take advantage of promoting Student Membership to the children in your country as a simple partnership.

These options are not mutually exclusive, especially the fifth one which can and should be implemented if you are doing any of 1-4. What is Student Membership? What is involved in options 1-4? Read on! Please, send us your feedback to cis@fide.com.

STUDENT MEMBERSHIP

[SM = Student Member/ship; PSM = Premium Student Member/ship]

We introduced Student Membership to form a part of the CIS100 projects. It can also be a stand alone module. The big difference is that ANY federation should be able to manage this and enjoy the benefits.

Basic Student Membership (SM) is free to anyone. The free version is handled automatically (more-or-less) by our web server (the only place that registration for free membership can be made). This is valuable, both to you and to us, because it adds to the number of your and our members, making chess ever more interesting to potential sponsors. However, the main interest is in Premium Student Membership (PSM with an annual fee of EUR 10).

Why the flags? They are the partner federations (see below for more about partner federations).

Premium Student Members (PSMs) get a Premium Pack for their €10 per year membership fee. The standard elements are:

- plastic ID card

- welcome letter

- FIDE Student Rating

- chess book

- fortnightly newsletter containing practical tips, instructional material and puzzles

- dedicated web site – a lollipop full of instruction and entertainment.


 1. CIS100 Projects

 These involve funding of USD 45,000 per annum, to provide the materials (and pay for some administration) for 100 chess classrooms in your country. Bidding for one of these projects involves a big commitment on the part of your federation. If you are prepared for that and want to bid, then send us some explanation of why you think you would make a big success of this. You should, as a general rule, have the backing of your Ministry of Education, if only as a general expression of support. If your bid is sufficiently convincing, we will send you a route map for that long road and then we can start discussing whether (and how) you can really implement it all. The funding is in the form of a loan, to be repaid out of PSM fee income.

You decide what benefit(s) to provide your Student Members with. That is in addition to the standard elements.
 
2. CIS30 Projects

This is based upon the CIS100 module, but it should be possible rapidly to saturate the schools in your country. The coordination will be a great deal less onerous (although you may need to provide a lot of translation if your main language is a minority one). Funding will be in the region of USD 15,000 per annum. The funding is in the form of a loan, to be repaid out of PSM fee income.

3. Seeding

 We are aware of quite a few countries with fair size populations but small membership of federations which lack the resources even to bid for a CIS100 Project. Our idea to help them is to provide them seed funding of about USD 5,000 per annum. The idea is for that seed funding to be used to promote SM & PSM within your territory. By building up the number of SMs and especially PSMs, to grow your income (and ‘presence’) to the point that you can at least manage option 5 and perhaps graduate to a CIS100 project.

4. Harmonious collaboration

The experience gathered by us at CIS (from many dozens of national federations) means that FIDE can offer you something greater than the sum of the parts. We want to work with you to grow numbers. We offer you the benefit of our (and your!) experience.

5. Simple Partnership

This is very similar to option 4, but presumes a much greater involvement by us and much less by you (so more suitable for less developed federations).

Options 1-3 will generally run for an initial term of three years. Contracts to be agreed.

PARTNER FEDERATIONS

Our initial partner federations are the CIS100 pilot project countries. However, we would like every single national federation to partner this initiative under option 5 above.

What are the benefits?

• Your own dedicated space on our web server.
• Top quality content provided at no cost to your federation.
• FIDE’s global advertising reach, directed to your benefit.
• A substantial increase in numbers – the take up of free membership (no cost to your federation) is expected to be very large and that will help you in your presentations to government, sponsors and the media.
• An increase in revenue – your federation will receive the vast bulk of the income generated by PSMs – up to 90% (about 60-70% net of all costs, all of which can be under your control).

What are the obligations?

• Appoint a reliable coordinator (more than one in the case of larger countries).
• Keep your part of the web site updated, including translation of the materials freely provided to you if no translation is available – most of the major languages are done by us.
• Depending upon the level of partnership (determined by number of PSMs), to manage the mailing of their Premium Packs (in order to keep costs down and maximize your revenue.

TIMELINE

We will be finalizing this year’s projects soon after the next Presidential Board meeting, which is just a few weeks away (3-6 February), so try to make your pitch before then.

Get in touch, let’s talk. 

Your feedback (to cis@fide.com) can help us to improve this never-ending project.

Ali Nihat Yazici

Chairman, FIDE Chess in Schools

Congratulations to Mintimer Shaimiev on his 75th Anniversary - Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:29:37 +0000



Mr. M. Shaimiev
1st President of the Republic of Tatarstan
State Advisor of the Republic of Tatarstan
Senior Advisor to the FIDE President



Dear Mintimer Sharipovich!

It is my pleasure to congratulate you on your 75th anniversary on behalf of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the people of the Republic of Kalmykia!

This date has found you in the center of public and political life of the country. In your capacity as State Advisor of the Republic of Tatarstan, you do your utmost to increase well-being of your countrymen, to secure civil peace and international and interconfessional concord.

The above-mentioned efforts, as well as the growing economic importance and achievements in cultural, humanitarian and other spheres of public, are all connected to your name, and your indefatigable activities.

We know you as a refined connoisseur and great fan of chess, who is devoted to this wise game all your life. It is a pleasure for me to stress that today the chess life in your Republic is at its best. Under your great leadership Tatarstan has commenced to organize world level top events, which brought the knowledge of other countries of the world to your great Republic. I am confident that in the future this ancient sport will always be welcome there and it will become its home.

We are joining in to all other congratulations, and on this remarkable day I would like to wish you, beloved Mintimer Sharipovich, best of health, happiness and prosperity, fulfilling all the goals, and further achievements in your work, which demands from you a lot of responsibility and efforts, for the sake of your Republic.


Yours truly,
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
FIDE President
1st President of the Republic of Kalmykia


Congratulation (RUS)

Visit of FIDE General Secretary Ignatius Leong to Myanmar - Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:50:28 +0000

FIDE President visited Myanmar for the first time in July 2011 where he met senior officials from the Ministries of Education and Sports. From 10th to 12th January, FIDE General Secretary Ignatius Leong became the first foreign chess official to visit the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw where he continued from the ground work laid by the FIDE President.

He first met the Deputy Minister for Sports and Vice President of the Myanmar Olympic Committee, Brig-Gen Aye Myint Kyu and Director General of the Ministry of Sports and Secretary General of the MOC Col Thaung Htike. They confirmed that Chess will be one of 25 disciplines in the official program of the South East Asia (SEA) Games in 2013. The plan is to include Chess, Random Chess, ASEAN Chess and Myanmar Traditional Chess events making a possible total of 24 Gold Medals. In order to create a better sporting atmosphere, these events will be conducted using Rapid and Blitz rules.

The Minister noted that Myanmar had never competed in the Winter Olympics and welcomed the idea of FIDE to pursue the inclusion of Chess in these Games.



FIDE General Secretary Leong received by Minister Aye Myint Kyu, the Director General and 3 Deputy Director Generals.



MCF President Maung Maung Lwin, Leong, Minister Aye Myint Kyu and MOC Secretary General Thaung Htike

Leong also called on the Ministry of Education where he met Deputy Minister Prof U Ba Shwe and Deputy Director General for Basic Education Mr Ohn Myint Oo. Leong reiterated FIDE’s main mission to develop and promote Chess in Schools.

The Minister briefed Leong that at the end of December last year, Chess was for the first time included in the program of the Myanmar Schools Sports Festival. Chess is regularly played in most universities in Myanmar and that he will lead the Myanmar contingent to the second edition of the ASEAN University Games to Laos later this year whereby Chess is also to be included. The Minister had received the report from his representative who met the FIDE President in Yangon City last year. Minister wholeheartedly agrees that introduction of Chess is crucial to education especially at the Basic Education level. He added that Chess learning and playing teaches a child to be creative and honest.

Leong informed the Minister that FIDE will be conducting a Trainers Seminar in Yangon the following week. The seminar will be useful for those attending as they will later impart their teaching skills to players and teachers across the country to help with the introduction of Chess in Schools. He repeated the commitment of FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation to continue to support Myanmar in terms of technical assistance and equipment.



Leong in conference with the Deputy Minister for Education Prof. U Ba Shwe



Minister Shwe presenting a copy of Myanmar Traditional Chess to Leong

Changes in Commissions - Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:42:07 +0000



On recommendation of Commission chairmen and the FIDE General Secretary and confirmed by FIDE President, the following shall take effect from 1^st January 2012: