Article published in La Presse, September 24, 2010
MOSCOW - He says he was abducted by aliens and is suspected of ordering the murder of a journalist. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov eccentric president of a small Russian republic is the head of the International Chess Federation for 15 years. Next Wednesday, it could be checkmated by an ex-world champion.
The real battle, in Khanty-Mansiysk, is place in the shadow of chess. In this small oil town in western Siberia, while the masters are competing this week honors the 39th World Chess Olympiad, two men play their part in the wings.
And all shots are allowed to get the grand prize: the presidency of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
The reward may seem trivial for ordinary mortals. But not for the eccentric outgoing president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who believes that chess, this "cosmic game" available to humans by the aliens, save the world from the Apocalypse ...
Neither Anatoli Karpov, Soviet chess legend, who believes that comedy Ilyumzhinov long enough.
For months, the two Russians are campaigning around the world to gather the support of national federations. Karpov can count on the vote of large countries like France, Germany and the United States.
But in this part, all pieces have equal value. And his opponent is supported by federations of several micro-states and developing countries, which he promised would help. Ilyumzhinov advantage.
Anatoly Karpov has accused the outgoing president of the FIDE have transformed into a "corrupt organization" during her 15 years reign. Corrupt, as the small Buddhist republic of Kalmykia in the Russian Caucasus, led Ilyumzhinov unchallenged since 1993.
Exactly, next month, he will leave politics. The 48 year old millionaire who made his fortune in the booming post-Soviet car, plans to devote to the development of the sport and world peace.
One of his projects: a global center for chess 24-story-shaped piece of a king at Ground Zero. In addition to game rooms, the building would house the temples of the main monotheistic religions.
During his 17 years as head of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has made chess a compulsory subject in schools in the republic of 300,000 inhabitants. It also has built-Chess City, a luxury chess which regularly hosts international tournaments.
With aliens
Critics suspect of masterminding the murder of an opposition journalist in 1998, where one of his aides was convicted. Moreover, his account of a journey with extraterrestrials in 1997, on which he returned without discomfort, has dismayed many Russian politicians.
Despite his eccentricity, Ilyumzhinov has managed to survive for long political changes in Russia. In recognition of his unwavering loyalty to power his candidacy for the FIDE has been supported by the Russian chess federation, whose vice president is an adviser to the head of state Dmitri Medvedev.
As for accusations of corruption, Ilyumzhinov has responded with a defamation lawsuit against Anatoly Karpov. He said the world champion of 1975 is any more an "aging player" who can not accept losing the public's attention.
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