DRESDEN CHESS OLYMPIAD

2008 Chess Olympiad, November 12-25, Dresden, Germany

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DRESDEN CHESS OLYMPIAD

Key People at the Dresden Chess Olympiad

The Chess Olympiad is organized by the host nation, which is selected by FIDE, the World Chess Federation. FIDE President is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov of Russia. FIDE’s operations are run by Georgios Makropoulos of Greece. The chief arbiter of the Dresden Olympiad is Ignatius Leong of Singapore, who is also FIDE’s general secretary. The chairman of the Dresden Chess Olympiad organizing committee is Dirk Jordan, and the chief tournament organizer is Horst Metzing, who is also the European Chess Union general secretary.


Kirsan Ilyumzhinov			Georgios Makropoulos

Ignatius Leong			Dirk Jordan

Chess, Dresden and Russia

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Prime Minister of Russia appointed Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov (FIDE President) as the president of the Russian republic of Kalmykia. Putin graduated from the International Law branch of the Law Department of the Leningrad State University in 1975. Thereafter he was recruited into the KGB and became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. From 1985 to 1990 the KGB stationed Putin in Dresden, East Germany. It appears that high level politicians in Russia are interested in chess. For example Alexander Dmitrievich Zhukov, President of the Russian Chess Federation is also a Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. Reportedly, Vladimir Putin took a great interest in the world championship match between Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov held in Kalmykia.

Players, Guests and Sales at the Dresden Chess Olympiad

Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is playing at the Chess Olympiad, while Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a special VIP guest. Both are former world chess champions. Vladimir Kramnik is a spokesperson of the company which produced electronic chess boards and digital clocks for the Chess Olympiad (DGT). In the photo below we can see Frederic Friedel (Chessbase) and Albert Vasse (DGT) at the Dresden Chess Olympiad booth, selling the chess products.


Vladimir Kramnik			Anatoly Karpov

Albert Vasse and Frederic Friedel

Besides Karpov and Kramnik there are also a number of other former FIDE world chess champions present at the Chess Olympiad, including Boris Vasilievich Spassky, Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman, Alexandra Kostantinovna Kosteniuk, Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Susan Polgar, Antoaneta Stefanova, Veselin Topalov and Rustam Kasimdzhanov.

About FIDE

The World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, known as FIDE), was founded in Paris on the 20th day of July 1924. It is responsible for organizing the world chess championships. Its members are chess federations.

	FIDE Presidents	Year	Country
6	Kirsan Ilyumzhinov > 13 yrs	1995 – present	Russia
5	Florencio Campomanes-13yrs	1982-1995	Philippines
4	Fridrik Olafsson - 4 yrs	1978-1982	Island
3	Max Euwe - 8 yrs	1970-1978	Netherlands
2	Folke Rogard - 21 yrs	1949-1970	Sweden
1	Alexander Rueb - 25 yrs	1924-1949	Netherlands

In Russia, the transformation of the game into modern chess emerged in the 17^th century, much later than in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and UK. Read more about the Chess Queen. Dominance of the Russian chess players started shortly after FIDE was established. Read more about the World Chess Champions.

References

http://www.fide.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsan_Ilyumzhinov

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putin

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/oct/29/chess.features

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3553

Chess Quotes

And for the chess-player the success which crowns his work, the great dispeller of sorrows, is named "combination."

-Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941)

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