Breaking Chess News: Kasparov Committed to Ousting Fide Chief Ilyumzhinov

The legendary
Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov has confirmed to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (news not online yet) that he is firmly committed to push FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov out of office. (The interview was given to Stefan Löffler in Moscow.) The legendary world chess champion said he is likely running himself for Presidency at the next FIDE elections held in Tromsö, Norway, in August 2014, or otherwise, that he will support another candidate. He cites as his main motive the damage done to chess by Ilyumzhinov´s visits to dictators Saddam Hussein, Muammar al Gaddafi and, most recently in late April, to Bashar al Assad.

Having supported Bessel Kok in 2006 and, more strongly, Anatoly Karpov in 2010, Kasparov claims to have learned and is already working hard on a long-term campaign. He considers his worldwide efforts to bring chess into schools as a major part of his strategy and as a lead for FIDE to not just focus on chess as a sport but also to establish chess in the education system.
The story is in today´s (June 14) print edition, but not online (yet).

Link to the chess news break would be updated soon. (Earlier press conference comments in Moscow by Garry Kasparov on the sidelines of the World Chess Championship 2012.)

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