A very unhealthy situation

IN HIS observation of the current situation in the chess world, American Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan thinks the separation of Garry Kasparov from FIDE and the `unhealthy' situation in which FIDE is are the reasons for lack of sponsorships in chess. Although it is well known that the popularity of Internet resulted in the closing down of his magazine - Inside Chess, Seirawan is positive about the Internet and what it can do for the game in the future.

This Damascus-born Grandmaster is a former World junior champion, World championship candidate, second of Jan Timman in the 1993 World Championship match. Based at Seattle in the United States he was a commentator during the Anand-Kasparov match at New York 1995. Still an active player, he is playing a match against Michael Adams soon. He functions in various capacities and is also a journalist and a popular author of chess books. He was in Wijk aan Zee recently during the Corus Chess Tournament and spoke to TheHindu during the final round. Excerpts:

Question: How would you review this tournament. Will it be right to say that Kasparov's main opposition did not fire?

Answer: Opposition did not fire? I would not have said quite that. He was somehow successful but not as convincing as he was last year. (Result of Kasparov-Judit Polgar flashes at the demonstration board 1-0) He has just now won his sixth game of the tournament. Judit Polgar has just resigned. This is a game that kind of epitomises this event. He sacrificed a pawn for dubious compensation. He always had something going on. Then poor play by Judit in time trouble and he wins. Very very practical. Nice victory. Everybody will be proud to have it. But not great chess at all.

Anand is still playing (against Lputian which he later won), Kramnik and Leko all impressed and didn't lose any game but they did not spark our imaginations. So all in all not the greatest event.

Q: Now that your magazine is closed (last issue: January 2000), how do you plan to spend your time?

A: I didn't really have an opportunity to enjoy the extra time. We stopped the magazine in December 1999. There were holidays, then `flu' and later this journey to Wijk aan Zee. Then I have been writing for an Internet site and recently I have been hosting public lecture on the Internet.

Q: Is it very responsive?

A: My average was a few hundreds. My peak was 590 persons. That's quite impressive considering that the Internet is in its infancy and next year it may be a thousand.

Q: Who pays for it?

A: In the case of chessnet especially, they have banners which appear regularly while I am lecturing or commenting. The sponsors are happy that six hundred people may be looking and you mix up many banners. Again its in infancy. I really like the idea of what the Internet can become. In my view chess is perfect for the Internet. Television is perfect for cricket and soccer and other sports but it is not kind to chess. The Internet is!

Q: Where is the Internet taking us: greener pastures or bankruptcy?

A: I think the Internet is taking us to more sponsors. If you look at this event you have an estimated 15,000 people who played and watched it. Then you have many impressions from newspaper articles, television and may be even radio (Seirawan's wife Yvette Nagel is a Dutch radio journalist). If you tell the sponsor that a million people watched it on the Internet, they will ask: What? You must be kidding. A million people. Yes! I would say that is very good for chess sponsorship. It will draw people to the game. The sponsors will be happy with the result. I see Internet is favouring chess. In the longer time it will be very very good for us.

Q: There are a lot of players worried about the money in chess. Particularly top players. In 1999 we had fewer top tournaments. Will the Internet help them find their money?

A: The answer is yes. Since more impressions will occur. Sponsorship in chess is in a crisis for several reasons. In my view, the principle reason is that chess itself is at war with itself. You have Garry on one hand, strongest player in the world refusing to participate in official championships. So, that weakens the championship, the sponsor, officials and otherwise. That is point number one.

The second point is FIDE itself. I am singularly unimpressed with the way FIDE conducts its business. I am not impressed by the calibre of people involved. It strikes me as though FIDE runs itself as a corporate machinery. Basically it appears to me that FIDE President has sponsored events with a lot of money. And in return become the FIDE President. I do not think he is the right choice, frankly. A different type of person is necessary. Right now the FIDE set up is artificial. It is not commercially viable. In the sense that the FIDE President has spent his own money into world championship and into tournaments. Well, that is not a healthy situation. Coca Cola, Corus, Mac Donalds and commercial sponsors should be there. I mean, I hope it doesn't happen, what happens if the FIDE President met with an accident tomorrow? Then he is out of chess and suddenly there is no more sponsor. I think it is a very unhealthy situation for chess. Because FIDE is unhealthy, and players are in conflict there is a real problem.

ARVIND AARON

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