30.11.2015

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: "I was hit by sanctions because of the game of chess with Gaddafi"

November 25 the US government imposed sanctions against the President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Kirsan Nikolayevich told "Izvestia" about the absurdity of the situation.
– I celebrated the 20th anniversary of the presidency of FIDE. After that, I was informed about the decision of the US Treasury. And I thought it was probably a unique gift came to me from the US authorities. Without explaining anything, it made me a sanctions list, which is now just like a list of Nobel Prize winners.

They just do not like that we work so hard.They do not like that we do not share the countries by their political views. We support all members of the FIDE, all 186 countries, including Syria.
I met with Bashar Assad. We have built a chess center. I was accused that I provide financial support to the Government of Syria. But if we consider the financial assistance that we sent them a thousand chess boards and three thousand chess textbooks for schoolchildren, translated into Arabic, then it isutter nonsense.

Does your activity raise concerns from the US government?

My work all 20 years in plain sight. And we are always and everywhere are promoting world peace.  It is clear that with this policy they don't like me. Many times I have met with Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. In our last meeting, when Gaddafi had already begun the persecution, we played chess with him.
We kind of pacifists. I have plans to spend even a chess match on the 38th parallel between North and South Korea, to bring 100 children from Pyongyang and 100 children from Seoul. Thena match between the Israeli and Palestinian children. There is already an agreement with the Palestinian leadership that negotiations with Israel.
The leaders of some countries one day become displeasing to puppeteers from the USA. They immediately called them tyrants, dictators. Destroying the leaders, they thus destroyed the countries. As a result, millions of people will die. Now they reached Syria. Therefore, it is obviousthey do not like that we so openly fight for peace.

– Will you challenge the sanctions?

I will seek a meeting with US President Barack Obama. I want to hold a press conference.