A joint proposal from the Einstein Group plc (London) and
Madame Nahed Ojjeh (Paris)
Einstein Group (Einstein), the London based
multi media group, that owns the einstein.tv television channel, and Madame
Nahed Ojjeh today announced their intention to support the reunification of the
chess world. Einstein and Madame Ojjeh are looking forward to collaborating
with all other interested parties and have developed this proposal which takes
into account existing ideas and contractual obligations. The document aims to
help ensure that the Prague meeting will be a success.
Nahed Ojjeh: I am very pleased to work
with Einstein and any other party who shares the same aims. The following
proposal is an excellent basis to reach the goal of reunfication. After ten
years of division a solution is needed in the interest of professional players,
sponsors and chess lovers. A reunification of the Chess World will assist in
popularising chess and spreading it to schools. Learning chess has been proven
to assist in childrens educational development.
1.Reunification
1.1. Einstein Cycle
- Einstein Candidates Tournament in
Dortmund
The Dortmund qualifier will run as
announced. Participants: Adams (England), Barejew (Russia), Gelfand (Israel),
Leko (Hungary), Lutz (Germany), Morozevich (Russia), Shirov (Spain), Topalov
(Bulgaria). The prize fund will be USD $400.000 (1st USD $160.000,
2nd USD $100.000, 2x3rd USD $40.000, 4x5th to
8th USD $15.000), guaranteed by Madame Nahed Ojjeh (France). The
German tax will be deducted from the prize money.
- Einstein World Chess Championship Match
Classical World Chess Championship Match -
Vladimir Kramnik vs the winner of the Dortmund qualifier is to be held in
April/May 2003 according to the existing Einstein/Kramnik agreement. 16 games
of classical chess with draw odds for Einstein World Champion Vladimir Kramnik.
The prize fund will be divided between the finalists so that the winner
receives 60% of the prize fund and the loser 40%. In the event of a draw each
finalist shall receive one half of the prize fund, but Vladimir Kramnik shall
keep the title. Detail rules and regulations to be codified by the Committee of
Grandmasters. Full media and commercial rights owned by Einstein. 5% of the
prize fund to the Commissioners Office for the administration (including
the creation of a Professional Players Health and Benefits Fund)
and for the support of the Committee of Grandmasters.
1.2. FIDE Cycle
- Match 1
Anand (India) vs Ivanchuk (Ukraine): 6 games
of classical chess + possible tiebreak. Detail rules and regulations to be
codified by the Committee of Grandmasters. The prize fund of USD $150.000 -
guaranteed by Madame Nahed Ojjeh - to be divided 60% for the winner and 40% for
the loser. The host countrys tax will be deducted from the prize money.
Event to be held in the period August/September 2002.
- Match 2
Kasparov (Russia) vs the winner of Match 1:
8 games of classical chess + possible tiebreak. Detailed rules and regulations
to be codified by the Committee of Grandmasters according to match 1. The prize
fund of USD $250.000 guaranteed by Madame Nahed Ojjeh to be
divided 60% for the winner and 40% for the loser. The host countrys tax
will be deducted from the prize fund. Event to be held in the period
November/December 2002.
- Alternative:
Another format (e.g in one event) to
determine a challenger to FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov is also
possible. The prize fund of USD $400.000 is guaranteed then by Madame Nahed
Ojjeh. The host countrys tax will be deducted from the prize fund. Detail
rules and regulations to be codified by the Committee of Grandmasters.
- FIDE World Chess Championship Match
FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov vs the
winner of Match 2 or vs the winner of an alternative competition to be held in
May/June 2003. 16 games of classical chess with draw odds for FIDE World
Champion Ruslan Ponomariov. FIDE to be responsible for the prize fund. Prize
fund to be divided between the finalists so that the winner receives 60% of the
prize fund and the loser 40%. In the event of a draw each finalist shall
receive one half of the prize fund, but Ruslan Ponomariov shall keep the title.
More detailed rules and regulations to be codified by the Committee of
Grandmasters. Full media and commercial rights owned by FIDE. 5% of the prize
fund to the Commissionars Office for the administration (including the
creation of a Professional Players Health and Benefits Fund) and
for the support of the Committee of Grandmasters.
1.3. Reunification World Chess
Championship Match
- The Reunification World Champion Match
means a match between the winners of both cycles: "Einstein World Chess
Champion vs FIDE World Chess Champion". 16 games of classical chess + possible
tie-breaks, no draw odds. The Commissioners Office to be responsible for the
venue, prize fund and organization. The minimum prize fund should not be less
than the best prize fund of the two World Championship Matches before. The
prize fund will be divided between the finalists so that the winner receives
60% of the prize fund and the loser 40%. The winner of the event is the
"undisputed" World Chess Champion.
- Detailed rules and regulations to be
codified by the Committee of Grandmasters. Einstein TV will have full media
rights, but the new professional world chess organization in classical chess to
be founded by the end of May 2002 will have full commercial rights to be
refined in a separate agreement. The new organization will be administered by
the Commissioners Office and the Committee of Grandmasters.
- FIDE will sanction the reunification match
as well as all further events in the area of Classical World Chess
Championships related to the new organization. From the prize fund of the
reunification match and from all further World Chess Championship events in
classical chess a total of 15% will be deducted, to be apportioned as follows:
10% to FIDE, 5% of the prize fund to the Commissioners' Office for the
administration (including the creation of a Professional Players' Health and
Benefits' Fund) and for the support of the Committee of Grandmasters.
- An agreement related to the reunification
cycle and future sanctioned events in the arena of the Classical Chess World
Championships to be signed in Prague on 6 May 2002 by the FIDE President,
Einstein Group Plc London and Bessel Kok acting for the new Commissioners
Office.
2. New Cycle after the reunification
Taking the proposal of GM Yasser Seirawan
into account the following modified format will be determined:
- Each cycle starts with a "Classical
World Chess Open" to be held soon after the World Championship Match (the
first Open soon after the Reunification Match). Every player with an ELO rating
of more than 2600 has the right to participate. The TOP 100 players (according
to rating) are to be invited. A further 100 players are to be invited as FIDE
nominees (FIDE zonals). The Classical Chess World Open Tournament played under
the the Swiss System should have a minimum number of players (300). The TOP 50
players should receive free accomodation. The number of games should not be
less than 13. All detailed rules and regulations to be developed by the
Committee of Grandmasters.
- The top four finishers in the Classical
World Swiss Open qualify for the next stage of a Classical World Chess
Candidates Tournament and are joined by the three worlds
highest rated players and the finalist of the previous World Championship
Match. The format, all rules and regulations to be developed by the Committee
of Grandmasters.
- The winner of the Candidates Tournament
will challenge the Chess World Champion. The Classical World Chess
Championship Match will last 16 classical games. The Committee of
Grandmasters will be responsible for all detailed rules and regulations.
Every cycle has a fixed duration of two
years. The first World Chess Championship Match after the reunification has to
be finished by the end of November 2005, the next one by the end of November
2007, and so on to ensure stability and predictability as in other sports. From
all prize funds in the new classical cycles FIDE will receive 10%, and another
5% of the prize fund will go to the Commissioners Office for the
administration (incl. the creation of a Professional Players Health and
Benefits Fund) and for the support of the Committee of Grandmasters.
3. Organization
3.1. Commissioners Office
The Commissioners Office is
responsible for the contract management with the players and their agents,
oversees the regulations, the bidding procedures, commercial and media rights,
the distribution of above mentioned fees, etc. The Commissioners are working
closely together with the FIDE representatives. Any important points of
contention are communicated in writing by organizers, players and agents to the
Commissioners, whose decision is final. The Commissioners hold office for a
non-renewable five-year term.
Proposals to be made to the following
Gentlemen:
- Anderson, Erik (United States of America)
- Dato Tan Chin Nam (Malaysia)
- Kok, Bessel (Netherlands)
- Jukov, Alexander (Russia)
- Wirth, William (Switzerland)
3.2. Committee of Grandmasters
A committee of respected and well known
professional chess players will codify the rules of play, including but not
limited to issues such as rating errors, tiebreak procedures, proper time
frames within a two year cycle, staging of events, tournaments, calendar,
health benefits etc.
Proposals to be made to the following
Gentlemen:
- GM Beliavsky, Alexander (Ukraine)
- GM Illescas, Miguel (Spain)
- GM Jussupov, Artur (Germany)
- GM Khalifman, Alexander (Russia)
- GM Lautier, Joel (France)
- IM Pein, Malcolm (Great Britain)
- GM Rogers, Ian (Australia)
- GM Seirawan, Yasser (United States of America)
- GM Timman, Jan (Netherlands)
4. Remarks
4.1. Classical Chess
All games to be played with Classical Chess
time controls. This means a game 40 moves in 2 hours each; 20 moves in1 hour
each and then an extra 30 minutes for the rest of the game.
4.2. Rapid Chess
FIDE will be the responsible organization in
the area of all professional rapid chess events, such as rapid or blitz Chess
World Championships, Grand Prixs and so on. The classical chess
organization guarantees to abstain from activities in the area of rapid chess
with the exception of tiebreaks within the Classical World Championship.
4.3. Relations
FIDE and the new professional organization
agree to work closly together in all possible areas of professional chess:
The management of a well organized event
schedule should have the highest priority. The goal is to avoid clashes between
all top events in the World of Chess. Such as: Classical World Championship
events, FIDE Rapid Chess Grand Prixs and existing Classical Top
Tournaments.
FIDE as well as the Commissioners will try
to motivate the elite players to participate in both top competitions: rapid
and classical chess.
4.4 Olympic Movement
FIDE is the active and governing body and
strives to make chess an olympic sport and holds all rights for possible events
in the arena of the Olympic Games. The endeavors of FIDE will be supported by
the new organization and the elite Grandmasters.
London, 25 April 2002
Signed by CEO Steve Timmins
Einstein Group plc London
Paris, 25 April 2002
Signed by Madame Nahed Ojjeh
Contact: Zena Howard, Head of
Communications. Einstein Group, Tel: +44-7978 441293
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of
TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center. |