Who is Kirsan Ilyumzhinov? What does he think really? What lies behind the surprisingly hard, unblinking, appraising look? While there was an interview, I had a feeling that in front of me sits an ancient Asian warrior, who can one stroke cut off my head. And it does not matter that neither Fischer nor Spassky did not agree to.
Ilyumzhinov has indeed done much to restore the status of chess that was before they split FIDE. Thanks to him, FIDE has again become the most authoritative international chess organization. And now, again, there is one universally recognized world chess champion, not a vague set of Champions "according to such and such version".
There is something very special in Ilyumzhinov. I was convinced that in the fight for the presidency of FIDE, he will not be able to resist Anatoly Karpov, and he did not just beat him, but did it with a crushing score.
Ilyumzhinov - Buddhist, he believes in reincarnation, he said that he lives the seventieth life. He argues that honesty - is the biggest trick. And, faced with God, he just asked him: "How are you?".
