Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Cycles and recycles

President of the Russian Chess Federation and Vice President of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) Andrey Vasilievich Filatov gave a very interesting interview to Dmitry Somov for Sport-Express, No. 7521 of December 12, 2017, in which he announces his intention to re-run for President (of the Russian Chess Federation) and illustrates the main points of his electoral program.
One question and one answer – incidentally the last ones – can sound particularly telling:

– And, now, the last question: what are your plans for 2018? Will you run again for Russian Chess Federation Presidency? Or are you thinking to run for FIDE President, who will be elected next year?
– I’m gonna run for President of Russian Chess Federation. I’d say that we, as national team, managed to get good result. But there is still much work to do. If Russian players will keep giving me their trust, I will be grateful and I will continue to work with them. As for the election of FIDE President, I’ll quote the words of twelfth World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov, when, many years ago, thus he answered the question of a journalist: “This is not my cycle!”.

Being a man of beaux-arts and refined culture, of course, Mr. Filatov cannot but know when Karpov pronounced those famous last words, and that, a few months later, when Bobby Fischer forfeited his title, Karpov actually was proclamed World Chess Champion. Even though that was not his cycle.
President of the Russian Chess Federation and FIDE Vice President Andrey Vasilievich Filatov. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili.

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