And the Loser of the 2012 Mens Chess Championship Is …

Stanczyk knows exactly how the guy on the left feels. The chess clock is still ticking, the flag has dropped … a while a go …  and yet FIDE plays on. No host has been selected (or has one). There have been announcements/press releases, then retractions.

Forget going to the Russian Chess Federation (English language web page):
http://russiachess.org/eng/
.  The English version is four years out of date – I hope Gary Kasparov does well. Switching to the Russian language was no help either — no mention of the hosting one way or another. But it was more current.

The PakChess.org website announced Moscow won the right to host and posted a transcription of the FIDE announcement.
http://pakchess.org/hot-stories/fide-awards-world-championship-match-to-moscow

This Chess Blog website had the actual FIDE press release posted naming Moscow as the winning bid to host the 2012 Men’s Championship. (see http://chess.business-news-blog.eu/2011/breaking-news-wc-to-be-held-in-moscow-not-chennai/ )

Chess Vibes -
http://www.chessvibes.com/
  said the FIDE Press Release awarding the torunament to Moscow (Russian Chess Federation) was released and then FIDE issued a subsequent announcement to say their previous announcement was not announced.

FIDE.com website is mum. Don’t you just love the intrigue? I hope the chess tournament is as exciting, although one hopes it will be better managed. It occurs to Stanczyk that FIDE had said about two weeks ago that August 10th is the latest deadline, so they still have HOURS to go,  so  why be hasty — they (FIDE) have only missed a few time trials this year in the awarding of the Host site. Time may very well tell — but you would never know by this year.

I say let Moscow and Chenai do rock-scissors-paper in the best two out of three with the highest rated rock-scissors-paper players from  each country to decide. Anything to get this debacle over.

Oh, I forgot, you came here to my blog to see who the big loser was. It was FIDE!

#Poland #Chess – Krakow to Host FIDE General Assembly & Mikhail Gorbachev to Speak

Where's the Details?

The World Chess Federation announced yesterday that Mikhail Gorbachev will speak at the upcoming FIDE General Assembly in Krakow, Poland. Full Story:
http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/5434-fide-president-met-with-mikhail-gorbachev.html
. Now that is interesting!

OK, here is Stanczyk’s beef ! Where are the details? Missing from the announcement is the date of the Assembly or further details of the location. Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room — No 2012 announcement for the Men’s 2012 World Chess Championship has been announced.

Previously, I wrote about the delayed selection here . That was the second time the announcement had been missed. So tomorrow (31-July-2011) is the day. Do we have a 2012 Chess Championship or is FIDE still snoozing? Perhaps FIDE needs to recognize the world economy and soften their requirements for the host. My hope is either Poland or the USA will host the 2012 Championship.
Will FIDE actually make the announcement on Sunday? Is Gorbachev making this announcement tomorrow in Krakow, in the middle of summer — what no Holidays for management? The Chess Clock is ticking …  or will FIDE forfeit on time constraints?

2012 Mens Chess Championship Tournament – Host Selection Still Pending

FIDE Tournament Selection

 

It was supposed to be today that we found out where and when the 2012 Men’s Chess Championship between Anand &  Gelfand would occur. The process for selecting a host for this tournament has been extended another month until 31-July-2011.

The details can be found here:
http://discusschess.com/bids-deadline-for-anand-gelfand-2012-extended.html
. I just wanted to update my earlier article on this Chess Championship. Stanczyk thinks FIDE needs to be more flexible on their demands. I think they are snoozing on  the job and need to wake up and smell the coffee. I hope someone in the USA can pull together a bid, I’d love to see a Chess Championship in person!  OK, America its your move.

Chess & Chess Champions

Fischer-Spassky 6

It has been a woefully long time since this jester has had eyes for the chessboard other than an occaisional romp with moja żona. So Stanczyk is ashamed that while reading the New York Times newspaper, I found out that the World Chess Champion is Viswanathan Anand (2007-current). Anand is an Indian Grandmaster and as my math informs me has been World Champion for four years (this September). When the Chess Championship was split, he also held the FIDE Championship in 2000-2002. Now I  admit I was stunned by this !

In Stanczyk’s lifetime the World Chess Champion has always been Russian/Soviet, with a brief respite for American Bobby Fischer (1972-1975). In fact, before Anand & Fischer, the last non-Russian Champion was Max Euwe (Netherlands)  1935-1937. Since 1886 when they began recording a World Chess Champion, there have only been 15 Champions across that 125 years span. So for the last four years, Stanczyk has been oblivious. Indeed, my mind’s eye still was set back in the Gary Kasparov years. So it is like I am awaking from a decade long coma to find out who the new World Chess Champion is.

The World Chess Championship is played every other year. So 2012 is the next match for the World Championship. Oddly, where the World Chess Championship will be played will not be decided until  June 30th 2011. We do know who will be competing for thte title. It will be Anand and Israeli Boris Gelfand. The Chess Clock is ticking … where will the next championship be? What is sure is that 2012 will definitely see yet again, another non-Russian World Chess Champion.

Longest reigning Champion was Emanuel Lasker, at an astounding 28 years.  The complete list of Champions:

• Wilhelm Steinitz (1886-1894)
• Emanuel Lasker (1894-1921)
• Jose Raul Capablanca (1921-1927)
• Alexander Alekhine (1927-1935, 1937-1946)
• Max Euwe (1935-1937)
• Mikhail Botvinnik (1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963)
• Vasily Smyslov (1957-1958)
• Mikhail Tal (1960-1961)
• Tigran Petrosian (1963-1969)
• Boris Spassky (1969-1972)
• Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (1972-1975)
• Anatoly Karpov (1975-1985)
• Garry Kasparov (1985-2000)
• Vladimir Kramnik (2000-2007)
• Viswanathan Anand (2007-current)