Chess Sponsorship Stalemate

Mark Crowther – Wednesday 9th February 2011
http://www.chess.co.uk/twic

FIDE Vice-President Israel Gelfer has issued a letter in response to Malcolm Pein’s press release on the withdrawal of London’s World Chess Championship bid. Read it in full below. The statement itself reveals details (unverified) of the negotiations that one would expect both parties to keep confidential. Pein’s press release scrupulously avoided this and was diplomatic in tone. Malcolm Pein made it clear in talking to me that if London were not interested in hosting the championships any more after the withdrawal of Carlsen from the cycle, they would not have left the offer on the table (a six figure sum) for more than two months after he declared he was out.