CHESS POLITICS
IN THE Turin, Italy Chess Olympiad in 2006, Palau became a victim of chess politics with the election of new World Chess Federation (FIDE) president coincide with the Olympiad.
Honorary lifetime president Florencio Campomanes came to Palau on May 11-14, 2006 to get the proxy vote of Palau. He is pushing for the re-election of incumbent president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov while Oceania Zone President Gary Bekker of Australia supports Mr. Kok of The Right Move party.
On the election date, both parties claimed the proxy of Palau and eventually it was awarded to Campomanes after Roberto Hernandez, the Permanent Delegate of Palau to FIDE, faxed the final letter that invalidated the previous two proxies.
The whole story of this incident was published in the July 21-28, 2006 issue of Chess Mate.
And in the 2008 World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany, Palau became a victim again of chess politics. This time, the stake is not that high as it is not an election year.
It happened on the eve of November 22, 2008 when Campomanes called Hernandez at Palau Royal Resort Dormitory 1 asking for a proxy of Palau Chess Federation for the Asian Chess Federation Continental Meeting and FIDE General Assembly 22-26 November 2008 in Dresden, Germany.
The PCF has already assigned and hired Mr. Jan Olav-Berglund to be Palau's Delegate since January 2008 to the end of November 2008.
Before sending the proxy letter on PCF letterhead, Hernandez emailed Mr. Berglund about it . HIS REPLY IS AS FOLLOWS:
"Dear Mr. Hernandez, Have you already sent them your proxy? Who signed this proxy in that case? I was just about to deliver my paper to the FIDE office when I received this email from you. Could it be that your proxy has not gone through yet? To me the proxy is not important in itself, but it gives me more authority when discussing help and cooperation for us with chess friends all over the world. I have stayed here in Dresden all the time to try to fight for us. I could have left a week ago and save a lot of money for my trip to Palau, if I had known that you do not want me to represent you at the Congress.
It is because of chess politics that you did not get your visas and your sponsorships. It is because of this chess politics that we are not represented in this Olympiad in spite of actually having a team here, equally legitimate as many other teams, who are actually playing.
It is because of chess politics that four former professional teachers, now retired, who would like to spend a lot of future time in Palau, together with me, to impose chess in schools according to a well functioning chess program.
I am now hesitant to what to do myself. I have spent a lot of time to prepare for a pleasant chess future in Palau after I now have finished all my doctor's appointments, operations, treatments, I hope.
Instead of chess politics I would like to work on chess development. That is what I am good at. How do you want me to act? I am not the person who threaten or force anything. If anyone wants to cooperate with me, it must be out of mine and their own free will. Whatever you decide, I'll go along with. Best wishes, Jan
C H E S S P O L I T I C S, anyone?
Source: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
February 09-15, 2009 |
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