Disclaimer: As a matter of fairness, I will publish articles, letters, and information from both parties when I receive them.
“SPRAGGETT ON CHESS”
Canadian Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett commented on his blog on the Karpov Campaign’s tactics…
“It should be embarrassing for Karpov that he would allow such a torrent of verbal garbage to fill the home page of his campaign site.“ Kevin Spraggett
The Karpov campaign has taken an ugly turn this past week with some nasty articles appearing on the official campaign site. First Nigel Freeman’s widely published explanation about FIDE (and especially its finances) was ridiculed and the author went over the line at several points gratuitously calling into question Nigel’s integrity and professionalism.
There has been no response from Nigel so far, and I am hoping that he will not dignify the crap written about him. Freeman’s track record is beyond reproach: there is simply no individual in the chess world who commands the same level of respect and integrity for his work as an organizer and now as FIDE treasurer. In the financial world Nigel is extremely highly regarded. In fact, at times I find myself wondering about the great stroke of luck that Ilyumzhinov had in getting Nigel on board in the first place!
It should be embarrassing for Karpov that he would allow such a torrent of verbal garbage to fill the home page of his campaign site. It is really nothing but character assassination!
NEXT, today a new recruit for the Karpov team –the Malaysian chess activist Abd Hamid Majid–wrote a colourfully offensive article that he characterized as his personal manifesto. He described Ilyumzhinov as unsavory; the FIDE executive as villains of ill-reputation; and the practice of charging FIDE member-countries dues as outright looting.
I would not be surprised if the article gets pulled (or at least edited) before the end of the week. If parts of it are not outright slanderous, then surely this article must represent a low point in the Karpov campaign.
Could it be that Karpov is not aware of what appears on his website, or that he has no control over it?
I don’t think Karpov is aware how bad the USCF is. How would he know that he’s dealing with a bunch of corrupt and evil chess politicians?