This was gathered from several posts on this blog over the last few months:-
Those posts have more detailed information and links.
Of course it is unfair. But I have stopped fretting over the world chess federation FIDE. They always do the same. It would be so nice if they did not keep discarding their own rules. At some stage you become sick of all this and decide to just play chess.
When the Daily Dirt pointed to other sources with similar reports -- Anand Decries FIDE Favoritism -- the comments flooded in from fans of chess politics.
According to one report published after Anand won, Anand silent on rematch, the genial Indian is considering his options: 'the undisputed world champion said he has not taken a decision on the rematch, which is expected sometime next fall [2008]'.
When former title challenger Nigel Short was asked by Chessbase, 'The FIDE rules gives the benefit of re-match to Kramnik, which has been criticized by one and all. Your views?', he answered
Under the old system, a defending champion, with the benefit of a rematch, had a 75% chance of retaining his title. These were overwhelming odds which Mikhail Botvinnik, who in his later years was a shadow of his former force, ruthlessly exploited. The rigged system did not seem to trouble his conscience, if, indeed, he possessed one. With Kramnik it is slightly different . The current World Championship "system", if I may laughingly call it so, is a real dog's breakfast. Kramnik's advantage is not so obscene as Botvinnik's, and it is more difficult to blame him for taking his chances amidst the chaos. In general though, rematches, like feudalism, should be abolished.
FIDE simply possesses an extraordinary capacity for making bad decisions. Anand ought to use his enormous influence to try to do something about it, instead of adopting his usual passive, Mr Nice-Guy, fatalistic attitude.
Source: Nigel Short on FIDE.
First, following is an overview of relevant FIDE documents (all Fide.com) published since June, along with a few comments.
One of the big changes for the new World Championship cycle is the introduction of the Grand Prix. In future cycles, the winner of the World Cup will meet the winner of the Grand Prix to determine the next title challenger. The June report on the Tallinn Presidential Board (PB) said, 'FIDE and Global Chess will draft detailed regulations for the Grand Prix starting in 2008 for the next Presidential Board in Mexico City.' In the September report of the Mexico City PB, there was no mention of a Grand Prix. This is perhaps because FIDE President Ilyumzhinov was absent from the meeting.
Other relevant issues:
Also worth noting is that the official site for the World Cup is now operational: Chess in Khanty-Mansiysk • I'll incorporate all of this into my own pages -- Zonals and 2007 World Cup -- on the World Chess Championship.
4th Pan-American Championship (Zone 2.0): 'The IV Continental open took place 10th-20th July, 2007 in Cali, Colombia. The event was an 11 round Swiss Open. [...] Five players tied for first place but GM Julio Granda from Peru won the tie break and the title. Seven players have been qualified for the next World Chess Cup will be at the end of the year in Rusia: Julio Granda, Alexander Ivanov and Varuzhan Akobian (USA), Darcy Lima (Brasil) and the Panamerican Young IM Eduardo Iturrizaga (Venezuela), Matsuura Everaldo (Brasil) and GM Fernando Peralta (Argentina).' [TWIC663 : 'The Week in Chess' by Mark Crowther, no.663]
Asian Championship (Zone 3.0): 'The 6th Asian Individual Chess Championship took place 18th-30th September 2007 in Cebu, Philippines. 72 players from 17 countries include 29 GM, 1 WGM, 17 IM & 9 FM competed in 11 round Swiss System. Zhang Pengxiang edged out Wang Hao on tie-break after both finished on 8/11.' [TWIC673]
African Championship: (Zone 4.0) 'The 2007 African Individual Chess Championships were held at the Safari Court Hotel in the Namibian Capital of Windhoek from August 31 to September 10, 2007. [...] The Open Section was won by IM Robert Gwaze of Zimbabwe with an undefeated score of 7/9. IM Pedro Aderito of Angola took the silver medal ahead of IM Essam El Gindy of Egypt on tie-break.' [TWIC671]
Zone 3.2: 'Surya Shekhar Ganguly qualified for the FIDE World Cup in Siberia in November. Ganguly finished level on 9/11 with GN Gopal but won a rapid playoff match 2-0 to qualify. [...] Dhaka (BAN), 23-31 August 2007' [TWIC669]
The current list of qualifiers can be found on the FIDE page Qualifiers for the WORLD CUP 2007. The info and date publication change frequently. A few weeks ago the page said,
a) From World Championship Tournament 2007: 1. V. Anand (IND), 2. A. Morozevich (RUS), 3. P. Leko (HUN), 4. L. Aronian (ARM), 5. P. Svidler (RUS), 6. B. Gelfand (ISR), 7. A. Grischuk (RUS), * The 8th player - V. Kramnik - is replaced from the FIDE average rating list 7/2006 & 1/2007.
Today it says,
a) From World Championship Tournament 2007: 1. L. Aronian (ARM), 2. P. Svidler (RUS), 3. A. Grischuk (RUS), * Five players (World champion V. Anand, GM V. Kramnik, GM P. Leko, GM A. Morozevich and GM B. Gelfand are replaced from the FIDE average rating list 7/2006 & 1/2007).
Anand and Kramnik have parachutes into the 2007-2009 World Championship cycle. Have Leko, Morozevich, and Gelfand declined to play, or is there some other arrangement?
