"Exactly one year ago, the United States included me in the sanctions list because I and Bashar al-Assad opened a chess club in Syria. I presented chess boards and textbooks. Probably, the Americans thought it was a terrible weapon," said Ilyumzhinov.
"The US presidential election is scheduled for November 8, and the opening ceremony of the Match, to which I invited Barack Obama as the outgoing President, is scheduled for November 10. We also sent invitations to two presidential candidates. If all three of them will come, it will be great – they would have to make a symbolic first move. This is the case when both Obama and Clinton, and Trump would have to come to a mutual agreement: what first move to make? Should it be Knight? Or E2-E4?" summed up the head of FIDE.
07.11.2016
The head of FIDE: "Opening of a chess club in Syria is considered to be a terrible weapon as far as the US is concerned"
New York will hold the match for the title of the World Chess Champion on November 10. Russian Sergei Karjakin will fight Norwegian Magnus Carlsen. But this competition could be carried out without Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who hasn’t yet been granted a visa to the United States.
"If that happens, it will be the first time for the 92 year history of FIDE, when a match for the chess crown will be held without the head of the International Federation," said Ilyumzhinov in an interview to ‘Komsomolskaya Pravda’ radio.
