Open Letter
from Ruslan Ponomariov to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
To: Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, FIDE President
Dear Mr. President,
I would like to inform you that on 11-12th January 2003 I had a meeting in Wijk aan Zee (the Netherlands) with Mr. G. Makropulos, FIDE First Vice-President, and Mr. Z. Azmaiparashvili, FIDE Vice-President. Unfortunately, despite my frequent requests and requests from the Ukrainian Chess Federation to obtain official minutes of the FIDE General Assembly decisions (made in Bled in November 2002), concerning reunification World Chess Championship and Prague Agreements, we have not received such documents. I believe that it is necessary to make a bilateral contract between FIDE and me, World Champion, for the Ponomariov-Kasparov Unification World Championship match. While I share with FIDE big responsibility for the unification of the chess world, I request keeping to generally accepted international laws and procedures.
Regretfully, a number of previous FIDE projects have not been put into practice. FIDE Grand Prix 2002 series broke off after two tournaments instead of five planned. No match was organised between FIDE World Champion and World Champion among Computer Programs. There is also no clear vision of the next World Championship Cycle. The only thing we have now is unapproved project of World Chess Championship for 2003-2005.
Unfortunately, nobody consulted with me as FIDE World Champion while Prague Agreements were being developed and signed. The meeting in Wijk aan Zee should have contributed to further advancement of the unification of the chess world. However, Mr. President, I would like to draw your attention that staging such negotiations during my participation in tournaments should not be acceptable in the future.
For my part, I confirm once again my support of the Prague Agreements and my readiness to meet in a match with Mr. Garry Kasparov, official FIDE Challenger.
Yours sincerely,
Ruslan Ponomariov,
World Champion
Wijk aan Zee, 12 January 2003
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