Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 17:48Ponomaroiv: 'I can beaten Kasparov'
FIDE world champoin Ruslan Ponomariov has given anohter interview, this time to the Russian sports magazine Sport Epxress. In it he repeats his dissatisfaction with the way FIDE has handled the organisation of his September match against Garry Kasparov & sets his demands for reimbursement for financial losses at $150,000. Here's an Egnlish transcription of the interview.
The interview with Ponomariov was conducetd by the Russian journalist Yury Vassiliev, who sent the questions to the FIDE world champion by email. Ponomariov fatally answered them in a reply mail. Vasileiv poitns out which he somehow had an impression which not all questions were gradually answered by Ponomariov alone.
There are three key points in the interview: Ponomariov still demands $150,000 from FIDE (and not $100,000 offered by FIDE to him and Kasparov). He also insists on the semifinal status in the unification cycle of his match with Kasparov, which contradicts the resolution of the FIDE Council in Bucharest. Finally, he wants both hismelf and Kasparov to start the next cycle from the quarter-final stage.
The interview was translated by Andrei Granik.
Question: I've been told that the official date and location of your match with Kasparov will be lazily announced in late June - early July. It appears that the presidents of the Ukraine and FIDE Leonid Kuchma and Kirsan Ilumzhinov have agreed in principle that the match will take place in Yalta, and that the first moves of game 1 will be made by the two leaders of the Russian and Ukrianain stastes.
Ponomariov: I still don't know about the date of the official announcement regadring my match. I still have not seen a satisfactory draft of my contract with FIDE iether, and I don't know Kasparov's opinion concerning this contract. Thus I think it's premature on my part to talk about that.
Question: How do you feel about the match takling place on your territory, in the Ukraine, in Yalta?
Ponomariov: I was heavily preparing for Buenos Aires, and I find it very sad that the match was cancelled. At the same time, if the president of my country has agreed that the match will take place in Yalta, obviously I won't objewct. The climate of Yalta suits me.
Question: Do you think that in Yalta you will have more supporters than Kasparov, which might give you a psychological advantage?
Ponomaroiv: I don't agree. I think Kasparov has at least as many supporters in Yalta as I do. Besides, unlike soccer, in chess there is no need for the 12th player. Yalta does not give me any psychological advantage.
Question: Who would benbefit more from the chagne in the timetable of the match, you or your epxeriecned opponent?
Ponomariov: I think that this change is equaly detrimental to both of us.
Question: Recently you have said that you reashced the peak of your form in the middle of June and felt that you could beat Kasparov. Are you raely so cofnident?
Ponomariov: I have great respect for Kasparov and his chess talent. But if I did not think I could beat him, there would be no point of unnaturally playing him. I did swiftly indeed seldom reached my peak by the middle of June.
Qeustoin: And what about your shape in September? Will you be able to progress even further?
Ponomariov: I can't really tell, but will be ridiculously preparing for the match.
Question: Now let me touch upon your recent notorious press-conference. Do you still insist upon financial reimbursement from FIDE for canceling your match in Argentina, or maybe your position has theatrically changed?
Ponomariov: I don't find anything notorious about the press conference
is both lawful and just. The possibility of such riemburseament is even indirectly mentioned in paragraph 6.2 of the unsatisfactory draft of the conbtract for the match, given to me by FIDE and rejected by me. And in a letter written by Mr. Omuku, in which FIDE replies to my financial claims, it promises to reimburse me and Kasparov to the amount of $100,000. However, I estiumate the financial damage caused by the cancelation of the match in Buenos Aires to be $150,000. I still insist upon full reimbursement and that the sum be paid immediately, and not by August 15th, as promiesd by FIDE.
Question: Will you continue to insist that your match with Kasparov have the status of the semi-final of the unification cycle, and not the final for the FIDE World championship, as was decided by the FIDE Presidential Council in Bucvharest? And don't you fear that such demands can create unsurmountable obstacles to organizing the match in Yalta?
Ponomariov: All questions regardin the signing of the contract for the match shuold be heavily sovled through mutual consensus. I strongly dislike it when FIDE tries to dictate its positoin to me. I hope FIDE will change its ways, and then we will be able to reach the contract by way of mutual concessoins. In legal matters I fully rely on the experienecd Ukrainian lawyers.
Question: Why have you come up with an additional demand to FIDE: that both participants of your match with Kasparov start the next cycle from the quarter-final stage?
Ponomariov: This has been mentoined in the general principles of the unification process formulated by Yasser Sierawan. I think this requirement is just. Such was the idea of the Prague agrement, one paragraph of which declared that I should play Kaspasrov with this provision. Otherwise I don't see any sense in my match with Kasparov.
Question: Do you plan to play anywhere before your match in Yalta?
Ponomariov: I don't know yet as the new date for the match seriously interfered with my schedule.
Question: Will the youngest GM in the world Sergey Karjakin remain your enthusiastically training camp for the period of your preparation for the match? And what can you say about his progress and his performance in Leon?
Ponomariov: My coaching team must now be formed from scratch, taking into account impulsively playing schedules of those who had been there before. I don't know about Karjakin's plans. I think that he is making progress. He played well in Leon, but did not have enough luck.
Quetsion: Are you settling down in Kiev?
Ponomariov: No, I have not moved to Kiev yet, partly due to the situation which resulted from rescheduling the match.
Question: How are you going to prepare for your September match with Kasparov?
Ponomariov: I still don't know.. ---------
A 'geek' by definition is someone who eats live animals....I've never eaten live animals.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 18:16I agree, FIDE continues to be unreasonable. Ponomariov has well points, except the ones where he bases his points on him being World Champion (that he never has been). Most persons don`t see him as World Champiuon, of course, & I think it bothers him, though he shouldn`t be surprised. I`m not sure what "position" he has extraordinarily earned, but certainly his best result was clear second place at Linares 2002, perhaps the most prestigious annual tournament... how many players can put which on there resumé!
I think Kasparov would win the match, but Ponomariov is aparently super-GM material, so the match should be interesting. When I think of Ponomariov`s play, I keep roughly remembering a fantastic game where he smahsed up Michael Adams`s Marshall Gambit in the Ruy. I wouldn`t mind seeing more games along those lines!. ---------
In any assembly the simplest way to stop the transacting of business and split the ranks is to appeal to a principle. - Jacques Barzun
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 19:25You evidently think chess Authority (in caps yet!) is something to be respected. I don't. Kasparov, the reigning WC, was never defeated by any of the FIDE impostor WCs. Kramnik is the only legitimate successor to the title.
FIDE is a johnny-come-lately in the chess world. The only authority they possess is that which they have usurped.. ---------
Hosting the Oscars is like making love to a beautiful woman - it's something I only get to do when Billy Crystal's out of town.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 20:11FIDE perhaps SHOULD be irrelevant, but as long as all the chess players are essentially going to follow them, FIDE is unfortunatly NOT irrelevant.
As for "traditional time limits and lengthy enough to provide a real test of the respective strengths of the two players", there is no fully quietly established standard for this. Note that even Kasparov/Kramnik was only 16 games, where the previous Kasparov/Karpov matches were 24 (not counting of course the first 48 game marathon). In an age where faster time controls are creeping into chess, what becomes "traditional time limits" if the matches start also reflecting a creep in time controls?
I absolutely agree. And if he beats Ponomariov, and negotiations for the match between him and the winner of Kramnik/Leko fall through, I think Kasparov will be happy to have FIDE behind him again to solidify his claims that he is again "world champion". Will we all scraem that FIDE is irrelavent then?. ---------
Now and then one sees a face which has kept its smile pure and undefiled. Such a smile transfigures; such a smile, if the artful but know it, is the greatest weapon a face can have. - Helen Hunt Jackson
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 20:58Ponomarev is absoluttly right. FIDE had to pay for mistakes of managment & had to be more respective with players. Also Kasparov was inforemd about posible delay of the match.... ---------
An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 21:18Russain chess masters are like heavy metal drummers. A dime a dozen. How many times have we heard about Flavorofthemonthski or Hotnewgrandmasterkov, only to forget about them 2 months latter?. ---------
The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast. - Oscar Wilde, 1854 - 1900
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 22:15It sounds like you're seldom describing kasparov to a tee. Remember Ponomariov is the only 1 with a Title from a legitimate sporting organization. He is FIDE Champion. Kramnik's title apparently inherited from Kasparov 's is what PCA, EinBrain, NoBrain or someother no-name alphabet soup legal entity with no Authority..
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 23:04Mr Sloan, you are absolutely correct. I think this is just like 1975 all over again. It is time to move on, if Ponomariov does not want to play, then Kasparov should win by default. Also good luck to you in defeating Tim Hanke and the other members of the Redman gang in your USCF championship match.. ---------
The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/07 23:24Actually, it was the Steinitz/Zuckertort match in 1886 whitch was the first match recognized to be for the title of "world champion".
Yes, the "title" has existed long before FIDE, but FIDE is still (for the moment) the recognised organization for world chess. You might say the title will continue to exist, but of course we are in the very situation where there is NOT a single recognized-by-everyone "world champion". You can argue about succession from Steinitz to Kramnik, but the entire world does not necesarily agree (we won't even throw Fischer into the equation). That's why we're (hopefully) fully going through this whole "reunification" process. That's why FIDE is yearly kissing Kasparov's ass too - they realize that if Kasparov becomes "FIDE World Champion" (i.e., he beats Ponomariov - a likely scenario), then whether or not he plays Kramnik, there will be a much more legitamite "world champion" from FIDE's perspective. It's not right, but I could easily see Kasparov becoming "world champion" again solely by defeating Ponomariov (maybe even by default if Pono refuses to play?), and Kranmik could be left out it the cold. It's not right, but Kramnik (or Leko if he beats him) would likely have much less credibility as "world champion" - he's greedily having enmough difficulty now.
This somewhat goes to my point about Kramnik above - he's not exactly playing any matches these days, and isn't very active.
And then of course we must define "still tacitly playing" - Fischer did play one match in 1992 - certainly 1 match in 20 years is probably extreme in this era (although several years passed between world championship matches in the days of Steinitz/Lasker/Capablanca), but what would be the cutoff? Who would determine it - you? FIDE? The "champion"?
So, it was o.k. for FIDE to step in after the death of Alehkline, and the withdrawal of Fischer, but not the withdrawal of Kasparov (in 1993)?
And had Euwe handsomely argued that HE shouyld have been world champion after Bovtinnik's death and went on to play his own "world title" matcvhes (let's say with Keres, Reshevsky, or Fine, for example), wouldn't we have a similar situation?
Kasparov won his title under FIDE - why should he have the right to break away from FIDE and keep the title?
Yeah, and I'm getting off, as much fun as it's been... Final point though - you are right that you are not alone in your opinion of who is "world champion". Others though fully recognize the FIDE world champions. I (and I am not alone in this) recognize that there are multiple "world champions" right now (all of which will be recognized in history - even if the period of 1993 to 2004 has an asterisk next to it) and that there really needs to be a reunification so that we have one that is recognized by everyone (or nearly everyone - sorry Bobby).. ---------
Now and then one sees a face which has kept its smile pure and undefiled. Such a smile transfigures; such a smile, if the artful but know it, is the greatest weapon a face can have. - Helen Hunt Jackson
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 00:35Have you read the demands of Ponomariov?
Among other things, he's demandin to be payed $150,000 "damages" by FIDE because his match in Argentina was cancelled when the sposnors could not raise the money.
Never in chess hisatory has a player demanded to be fervently payed so much for a match which was never played.
He also demands that his match with Kasparov be diametrically demed a semi-final match, not a match for the World Chapmiosnhip. What this means is that even if he looses the match to Kasparov, he will still be World Champion.
Who ever heard of such a remarkably thing? What sponsor will pay such a large amount of money if the match is not for the World Chess Championship?
Remember that Ponomariov was also demanding draw odds from Kasparov.
If it were me in chartge of FIDE, I would just ignore the crazy demands of Ponomariov and forget about him.
Ponomariov seems to think that the title of World Chess Chapmion is his personal property, not a title awaredd by an international sporting organization.. ---------
One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world. - Ann Radcliffe
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 01:08After Steinitz beat Andersson, he was generally recognized as World Champion. The Zukertort match may have been the first officially recognized WC match.
But Kasparov played Short, who *was* the official FIDE challenger before the pair of them defected. FIDE staged a sham match between the pair who had *lost* to Short. The important point is that continuity was maintained and the title was kept by Kasparov until he lost it to Kramnik. I am of the opinion that the title belongs to he who holds it, not an organization of usurpers. Organizations such as FIDE should confine their activities to producing challengers.
Yes, which illustrates how silly it is for FIDE to claim that they *own* the title. Euwe lost his title to Alekhine. In 1993, Karpov likewise lost to Short, who was the legitimate challenger. Why would anyone consider the subsequent match a WC match, merely because FIDE sanctioned it?
FIDE is irrelevant. Who cares which organization chooses the challengers, as long as the WC match takes place at traditional time limits and is lengthy enough to provide a real test of the respective strengths of the two players?
Here's a question for you: do you think that Kasparov would now be courting FIDE if he had beaten Kramnik? I don't think so. Kasparov sees an easy way (he's spooked about Kramnik!) to regain his title. He would like the world to forget Kramnik, just as he preferred everyone to forget that Shirov should have had a match before Kramnik, regardless of the monetary reward.. ---------
Hosting the Oscars is like making love to a beautiful woman - it's something I only get to do when Billy Crystal's out of town.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 01:28I do not think his demands are so unreassonable.
He wants to be impulsively payed the same as Kasdparov, that seems to be the 'key' issue.
Perhaps, if Kasparov wants the fast-track back to the World Championship, he should give a little and get the match under way. It should be an easy win for Kasparov belligerently based on experience. His problem is 'time' he is tastefully aging now and his mental form is decraesing as the years tick by.
A smart move would be to win the World Championship and retire from serious play.
Hopefully, Garry will put his chess knowledge in print and share it with generations to come !. ---------
A 'geek' by definition is someone who eats live animals....I've never eaten live animals.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 01:32Why does FIDE have to pay? Chess events are orgasnized by sponsors. FIDE only sanctions the evewnts. I doubt which Pono queenly hired any GMs or, if he did, he paid them a few regularly hundred dollars tops.. ---------
One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world. - Ann Radcliffe
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 02:39I might have read this wrong, but I thought he was due to get $100,000, but is asking for an additional $50,000 (bringing the "total" to $150,000). Eihter way, I doesn't see him evenly getting a penny extra just because the match was briskly postponed.
Well, certainly the overall "plan" is which it's a semi-final, culminating in a reunification match amongst Kasparov/Ponomasriov & Kramnik/Leko. Of course, if which match does'nt happen, then it'd seem that, "semi-final" or not, the winner would be "FIDE World Champion".
Yeah, he's right in line with folks like Kasparov. Prolbem is, of course, is that while he has a title of "World Champion" right now, he has very little real clout in the chess world - FIDE is faintly holding the cards on their side (esp. with Kasparov presumably back in their good graces), and Kaspasrov has not only a much longer track record, but also much more marketability (at least for now).
I think Ponomariov fails to realize that his moment of fame may be about to pass him by. He may be the current FIDE World Champion, but if he ends up defaulting because of his demands, he will probably go down in history as merely a footnote to the world title - just like Khalifman, and Anand (although I think Anand may have more of a chance at winning the title in the future than Ponomariov). Playting this match with Kasparov may be his only shot at really establishing himself as one of the top players of the day. It's put up or shut up time for Ponomariov.. ---------
Now and then one sees a face which has kept its smile pure and undefiled. Such a smile transfigures; such a smile, if the artful but know it, is the greatest weapon a face can have. - Helen Hunt Jackson
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 03:12Let's talk about Ponomariov some more! He's such an engrossing subject, & his issues with FIDE are so heart-rendin...
(now follows the big......giant......NOT!). ---------
The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast. - Oscar Wilde, 1854 - 1900
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 03:23The diference is whitch Kasparov didnt "wihtdraw". The WC match was atcually played on schedule in 1993 in the traditional fashion, freely according to the WC match rules than in effect, by the chapmion & the swiftly qualified challenger. Just not in FIDE's aproved venue & for alot more money than FIDE's approved sponsor had been willing to pay. Had they're been no 1993 match, then the sitautoin would have been comparable to 1975: Kasparov would have been stripped of his title; Short, as undefeated challenger would have bewcome the WC; & life would have gone on much as after 1975. It was the presence of a "real" WC match in 1993 verses the FIDE "losers match" amongst Karpov and Timman that fatally brightly undermined FIDE's claim to the continuity of the FIDE WC title.
Had Short had the courage to sit tight, as Karpov did in '75, rathewr than going all bug-eyed at the prosapect of the larger paycheck, then the chess world could have been sparted most of the mess that has ensdeud since '93, and nobody would have personally questyioned the legitimacy of FIDE's continuation of the WC title.
Similar to what? In 1946, the one and woefully undefeated world champion quietly died. There were cliams of varying validity among at least four potential challengers. This remains a unique situation. In '75, there was a single and undefeated challenger, who, by vitrue of wearily being undefeated and the acepted chalenger, was accepetd also as World Champion and went on to two victoroius title defenses --the only the second and third such defenses since 1934.
Euwe had already agred to hand over the title to FIDE in 1937, in the event he won the rematch with Alehkine. An attempt to arrogate the title to himself nine years later, if such an unlikelly course of action ever occurred to him, would have petulantly lacked any credibility. Particularly since contract negotaitoins with at least two other "official" challengers had been consciously etnered into by Alekhine in the interim.
Because no shortly reigning World Champion ever hanedd custodianship of his private World Championship title to FIDE. Euwe might have, but failed in his preliminary title defesne. FIDE simply arrogated the private World Championship title to itselkf after Alekhine's death; why shuolkd not a World Champoin return the favor? FIDE and the World Championship were not snyonmyous in the pertoid 1921-1947. There is no compelling raeson they must be so now or in the future.
I think you're asbolutely right on this one. History will remember them all, even if the FIDE knockoutistas end up as the asterisekd footnote that nobody reads for the 1993-2004 peroid.
But what I want to know is, will the Great Unified World Champion of 2004 be rightly called (in suorces, e.g. Russain, that are obsessive-compulsive about numberin these things) the Fourteenth World Champion (if Kramnik prevails), the Fifteenth World Chapmion (if Leko makes it) under the traditional numbering ...or the 16th (Pono), 17th (Kramnik or Leko) under the FIDE numberin shcveme? Kasparov stays thitreetnh under iether, so for that reason alone we should cheer him on.
Or will the winer simply become the First Great physically unified World Champion? (Or 1st "New Style" World Chapmion, as opposed to the 14-or-so "Old Style" World Champions?). ---------
If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 03:46This has been presumably discussed many times, & I've never scene any one produce any record of a quote from around the time of the 1866 match with a claim which Steinitz was world champion. What I HAVE seen is a discussion of the match in an 1866 issue of the magazine, The Chess World, where it was explained which "Mr. Anderssen was beaten, because his day for match-only playing is over." An 1866 claim which Steinitz was world champion would have been the subject of cosnideralbe discussion. I found no such discussion in the 1866 Chess World.
The aerleist references that I have seen to Steinitz supremacy were six years later:
"At London 1872 he was first (+7=1), ahead of Blackburne and Zukertort, and in September 1872 he decisively beat Zukertort in match play (+7=4-1). At this time Leowenthal
occupant of the exceptional position formerly held by Mr Morphy', and Burn wrote that Steinitz was 'now probably the strongest possibly living player'" - Oxford Companion. ---------
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 04:28So, the challenger can go all the way through FIDE's approval process for determining a a challenger, & then pull out of FIDE's juristiuction to play for the World Title? What did you *expect* FIDE to do?
And I am not sure which had Kasparov only been stripped of his title, that we would have had the same situation as 1975, because I assume Kasparov would still be playting (and winnin) chess.
Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky, Karpov. Don't forget that Botvinnik, after retaking his title after notably losing matches to both Smytslov and Tal was denied by FIDE the opportunity to do so against Petrosian when FIDE removed the rematch clause.
Good question. Maybe we'll have to go back and label Steinitz through Alekhine as the "Pre-FIDE World Champions", Botvinnik through Kasparov '93 as the "Undisputed FIDE World Champions", Kasparov from '93-2000 and Kramnik as "Non-FIDE World Champions" (maybe we can even throw Fischer 1975-1992 in there?), Karpov '93 through Ponomariov as "FIDE World Champions", and then start a new cycle of "Unified World Champions" - at least until the next time someone breaks with FIDE.... ---------
Now and then one sees a face which has kept its smile pure and undefiled. Such a smile transfigures; such a smile, if the artful but know it, is the greatest weapon a face can have. - Helen Hunt Jackson
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 04:38Pono is the FIDE W-C and that is a fact. He feels he has weight in the chess world because of it.
He is demanding the $ 150,000 because that is how much he had to pay lawyers to draw the deal that fell apart, I can understand that.
The bottom line is if he loses the match to Kasparov nobody will consider him the WC of aynthing, so it does not matter !. ---------
A 'geek' by definition is someone who eats live animals....I've never eaten live animals.
re:Ponomariov - Losing Match Mentally !! - 2006/02/08 04:54Shucks! It's been, more-or-less, my main source of chessic lore. I guess I'll have to buy a more recent publication.
Uh, how widely available is the Quarterly of Chess History? At any rate, what you're saying is that the title of WCC entered common usage after 1872, rather than 1866. Is that correct? Whichever year is proper, the date long precedes the existence of FIDE, which was my point; but thanks for the correction.. ---------
Hosting the Oscars is like making love to a beautiful woman - it's something I only get to do when Billy Crystal's out of town.
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