On October 22, 2009, GM Koneru Humpy of India, the second-highest rated female chess player in the world today, issued a press release that was published online and through other news outlets. (Photo, 2008 Women's World Chess Championship at Nalchik, Round 5, Game 2).
Here is the full text of the Humpy press release at Chessbase. In the press release, GM Koneru explained her reasons for withdrawing from representating India at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games (of which chess is a component), and set out several complaints she had with responses (or lack thereof) from Mr. Sunder, Honorary Secretary of the All India Chess Federation, and some incidents generally with the AICF.
Today Chessbase published a response by D. V. Sunder, Honorary Secretary of the All India Chess Federation, who was specifically named in GM Koneru's press release as deficient in performing his official duties for the AICF. Here is the full text of Mr. Sunder's press release at Chessbase.
Mr. Sunder says of GM Koneru and her father, Koneru Ashok, who also acts as her trainer/chess "many things are said out of imagination and half truths."
I don't know how this is being viewed in India or anywhere else, but this resident of Wisconsin thinks it is clear that Mr. Sunder is accusing GM Koneru and Koneru Ashok of lying - about almost everything.
The crux of the back-and-forth seems to be centered on three inter-related issues:
(1) Requiring GM Koneru to play in Indian GM tournaments deemed of importance to the AICF and other entities because of AICF rules or because of state and/or national Indian laws applying to chess players - or a combination of any or all of the above. I exempt from this any requirements to which GM Koneru agreed to in a sponsorship contract;
(2) GM Koneru's freedom to play in any tournaments/events (whether in India or not) that she deems of importance to her professional career, even if that may sometimes conflict with what the AICF wants and, this cannot be ignored, generating as much income as she can through prize money and/or appearance fees;
(3) Requiring GM Koneru to play on official Indian Women's chess teams, and/or requiring her to play in Women-only tournaments inside or outside of India.
I find it synchronicitous that the Humpy/AICF controversy should come up within a few days of an article published in The Wall Street Journal saying that women's titles should be abolished as should all women-only chess events. I'm writing a piece on that for the Goddesschess website that I hope to have ready for publication this weekend.
What does it come down to - nationalism - or money (never to be discounted as a motivating factor) and career advancement? How selfless must a chess player be in advancing national pride at the expense of his or her own financial future and place in the record-books of chess history? How far should a nation state, or a national federation, be allowed to go in forcing a chess player, a star or a promising future star, to play for the glory of national as opposed to self-interest?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Controversy with All India Chess Federation
On October 22, 2009, GM Koneru Humpy of India, the second-highest rated female chess player in the world today, issued a press release that was published online and through other news outlets. (Photo, 2008 Women's World Chess Championship at Nalchik, Round 5, Game 2).
Here is the full text of the Humpy press release at Chessbase. In the press release, GM Koneru explained her reasons for withdrawing from representating India at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games (of which chess is a component), and set out several complaints she had with responses (or lack thereof) from Mr. Sunder, Honorary Secretary of the All India Chess Federation, and some incidents generally with the AICF.
Today Chessbase published a response by D. V. Sunder, Honorary Secretary of the All India Chess Federation, who was specifically named in GM Koneru's press release as deficient in performing his official duties for the AICF. Here is the full text of Mr. Sunder's press release at Chessbase.
Mr. Sunder says of GM Koneru and her father, Koneru Ashok, who also acts as her trainer/chess "many things are said out of imagination and half truths."
I don't know how this is being viewed in India or anywhere else, but this resident of Wisconsin thinks it is clear that Mr. Sunder is accusing GM Koneru and Koneru Ashok of lying - about almost everything.
The crux of the back-and-forth seems to be centered on three inter-related issues:
(1) Requiring GM Koneru to play in Indian GM tournaments deemed of importance to the AICF and other entities because of AICF rules or because of state and/or national Indian laws applying to chess players - or a combination of any or all of the above. I exempt from this any requirements to which GM Koneru agreed to in a sponsorship contract;
(2) GM Koneru's freedom to play in any tournaments/events (whether in India or not) that she deems of importance to her professional career, even if that may sometimes conflict with what the AICF wants and, this cannot be ignored, generating as much income as she can through prize money and/or appearance fees;
(3) Requiring GM Koneru to play on official Indian Women's chess teams, and/or requiring her to play in Women-only tournaments inside or outside of India.
I find it synchronicitous that the Humpy/AICF controversy should come up within a few days of an article published in The Wall Street Journal saying that women's titles should be abolished as should all women-only chess events. I'm writing a piece on that for the Goddesschess website that I hope to have ready for publication this weekend.
What does it come down to - nationalism - or money (never to be discounted as a motivating factor) and career advancement? How selfless must a chess player be in advancing national pride at the expense of his or her own financial future and place in the record-books of chess history? How far should a nation state, or a national federation, be allowed to go in forcing a chess player, a star or a promising future star, to play for the glory of national as opposed to self-interest?
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