As Russian President Vladimir Putin races towards the 2018 election, India’s role is likely to be crucial in maintaining continued importance of one of his favourite loyalists, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, head of the international chess body, FIDE.
An official of the All India Chess Federation says India will have a strong say in deciding Mr. Ilyumzhinov’s future on top of world chess even as the Kremlin power play unfolds in the pre-election months involving the likes of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
Crucial role
Explaining India’s role in FIDE, Bharat Singh Chauhan, secretary of the federation, acknowledged the importance of Mr. Ilyumzhinov in world chess, but said that as one of the top five chess powers in the world, India would have its support crucial in determining who the next president of FIDE would be. Though the election is several months away, discussions have already begun in Russian media and within the chess circle in India about “certain issues” around Mr. Ilyumzhinov.
“Kirsan’s contribution to chess is enormous. But there are issues like U.S. sanctions on him that are likely to come up for scrutiny when we decide our position on him,” Mr. Chauhan told The Hindu .
Apart from being home to a large number of important chess players, including former world champion Vishwanathan Anand, India also hosts several FIDE-backed chess events and carries significant weight in determining the order of the organisation.
U.S. sanctions and after
Mr. Ilyumzhinov has been the head of FIDE for almost two decades and part of the power elite of Russia for long. In recent years, his problems have come from international sanctions. The United States imposed sanctions in 2015 on the chess czar for his alleged role in supporting the government of President Bashar Al Assad of Syria. The sanctions specifically targeted those individuals with close ties with President Putin. They prohibit U.S. persons or organisations from conducting business with him and interfere with FIDE’s work.
Mr. Chauhan declined to detail what kind of problems FIDE had been facing from the sanctions on its president, but said the decision to support Mr. Ilyumzhinov would be taken on merit and without influence from any government department. “Whatever decision we take, it will be decided by what is in India’s interest, and the All India Chess Federation will decide on it as an autonomous body,” said Mr. Chauhan, emphasising that government of India does not interfere with the decision of the All India Chess Federation.
Kasparov in race?
So far there are no clear signs if Mr. Ilyumzhinov will face a strong opponent. But Russian sources indicate that there are possibilities of a face-off between him and the former world champion and President Putin’s bitter critic, Gary Kasparov. Mr. Chauhan said that Mr. Kasparov had not yet declared his preference for a contest, however The Hindu learnt that a possibility of such a contest could not be discounted. In case the Putin loyalist is challenged by Mr. Kasparov, the fight will take on a political colour and may even influence the election campaign of President Putin.
The future of Mr. Ilyumzhinov and his position within FIDE has been highlighted in view of the election season that has been unfolding in Moscow.
Apart from Mr. Ilyumzhinov, several other Kremlin insiders such as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin are likely to face re-evaluation as President Putin reconfigures his team to pitch for the presidency once again.
While sanctions have bothered Mr. Ilyumzhinov, Russian media in recent weeks has reported that Mr. Rogozin is also facing growing pressure due to repeated failures of the Russian space industry. Russia failed to send a payload of 19 satellites on November 28 prompting criticism of Mr. Rogozin who has been in charge of Russia’s space industry since 2011. India’s position on these individuals therefore can make a difference for them in the election season of Russia.
