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Press KARPOV FOR FIDE PRESIDENT
Press KARPOV FOR FIDE PRESIDENT | KARPOV FOR FIDE PRESIDENT |
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| By the USCF Executive Board | |
| April 12, 2010 | |
 Anatoly Karpov is one of the greatest players of all time, a chess celebrity who will greatly improve FIDE’s chances of attracting quality global sponsors. Mr. Karpov is a strong supporter of traditional chess played under consistent rules. He has been active in promoting the game in the United States, and offers hope for increasing the prestige and popularity of our great game everywhere. We are pleased to endorse former World Champion Karpov for the office of President of FIDE. The world chess organization is in need of serious reform, and Karpov’s candidacy represents an unusual opportunity to vastly enhance FIDE’s reputation, and that of organized chess worldwide. USCF is looking forward to working closely with Karpov and his team to achieve a shared vision for chess excellence.We were pleased to see Karpov state the following: “Upon being elected FIDE President in October of 2010, it is my intention to bring FIDE back out into the open and raise the profile of chess throughout the world. I plan to accomplish the above agenda by relocating FIDE offices to major cities of the world such as Moscow, Paris and New York.” “Over the past several years I have had the good fortune to open several Anatoly Karpov Chess Schools throughout the world, including our first in the US in Linsborg, Kansas. I personally am a very big believer in the benefits of chess for children and have done charity work over the last several years with my Peace Fund to help Chernobyl victims and with the Special Olympics. For the past eleven years I have been Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. As FIDE President I will be able to secure agreements on behalf of chess with both UNICEF and UNESCO.” “Philosophically speaking I believe the above is a much sounder approach to finances and raising funds than the current methods employed by FIDE. The current FIDE philosophy of implementing new rules with financial penalties and turning profits on official FIDE events at the expense of national federations is not the proper way to support FIDE programs.” We are also excited that Karpov has selected the distinguished attorney Richard A. Conn Jr., a USCF member with a rating over 1900, to join his ticket as a candidate for the office of FIDE Deputy President. If elected, Conn would hold the highest FIDE office of any American in history. |
