Legal Challenge Fails, so Chess Federation Elections Will Be Held
By DYLAN LOEB MCCLAINA lawsuit challenging the qualifications of one slate of candidates for the top posts in the World Chess Federation has been unsuccessful. So the election will be held as originally planned on Wednesday at the Chess Olympiad that is currently going on in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
The court’s decision has not been released, but representatives of parties on both sides of the case have confirmed the result.
The lawsuit was brought in the Court of Arbitration for Sport by five national federations and the campaign of Anatoly Karpov, the former world champion, who is running for the presidency of the federation, which is also known by the acronym FIDE (for Fédération Internationale des Échecs). The lawsuit said that the nominations of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the incumbent president, and Beatriz Marinello, a member of Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s slate, were illegitimate because they had not been members of the national federations that nominated them for more than a year prior to the campaign and that was a requirement under FIDE’s rules.
Mr. Ilyumzhinov was nominated by Russia (although Mr. Karpov has also claimed that nomination), Argentina (which has since thrown its support to Mr. Karpov) and Mexico. Ms. Marinello, who has lived in the United States for 20 years, was nominated by Chile, her native country, and Brazil.
According to one person who has seen the decision in the case, the court concluded that being a member of a national federation for more than a year was a suggestion and not a requirement.
The lawsuit had also challenged whether the Russian Chess Federation nominated Mr. Karpov, as it apparently did in May, or Mr. Ilyumzhinov, as a subsequent letter from Arkady V. Dvorkovich, the acting head of the federation claimed.
It was not known if the court ruled on which candidate could claim the Russian nomination.
The campaign between Mr. Ilyumzhinov and Mr. Karpov has been highly competitive and, at times, quite nasty. Mr. Ilyumzhinov has claimed on his Web site that he has enough support to win re-election, but as some of the federations listed as his supporters are also claimed by Mr. Karpov, it is not clear if Mr. Ilyumzhinov is correct. Of course, Mr. Karpov has said that he is confident of victory.
In two days, everyone will find out who was right.
The court’s decision has not been released, but representatives of parties on both sides of the case have confirmed the result.
The lawsuit was brought in the Court of Arbitration for Sport by five national federations and the campaign of Anatoly Karpov, the former world champion, who is running for the presidency of the federation, which is also known by the acronym FIDE (for Fédération Internationale des Échecs). The lawsuit said that the nominations of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the incumbent president, and Beatriz Marinello, a member of Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s slate, were illegitimate because they had not been members of the national federations that nominated them for more than a year prior to the campaign and that was a requirement under FIDE’s rules.
Mr. Ilyumzhinov was nominated by Russia (although Mr. Karpov has also claimed that nomination), Argentina (which has since thrown its support to Mr. Karpov) and Mexico. Ms. Marinello, who has lived in the United States for 20 years, was nominated by Chile, her native country, and Brazil.
According to one person who has seen the decision in the case, the court concluded that being a member of a national federation for more than a year was a suggestion and not a requirement.
The lawsuit had also challenged whether the Russian Chess Federation nominated Mr. Karpov, as it apparently did in May, or Mr. Ilyumzhinov, as a subsequent letter from Arkady V. Dvorkovich, the acting head of the federation claimed.
It was not known if the court ruled on which candidate could claim the Russian nomination.
The campaign between Mr. Ilyumzhinov and Mr. Karpov has been highly competitive and, at times, quite nasty. Mr. Ilyumzhinov has claimed on his Web site that he has enough support to win re-election, but as some of the federations listed as his supporters are also claimed by Mr. Karpov, it is not clear if Mr. Ilyumzhinov is correct. Of course, Mr. Karpov has said that he is confident of victory.
In two days, everyone will find out who was right.
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