Photo: Mikhail Metsel

In his interview with TASS news agency, Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), spoke about the postponement of the Candidates Tournament and the World Championship match and the negative effect the epidemic situation exerts on chess and sports events. 

- How difficult was it to make the decision to postpone the Candidates Tournament?

- We had a long discussion. It was a tough call. The decision to postpone the Candidates to spring did not come easy. We did hope to complete the competition this year which would be both logical and fair. However, given a combination of factors detailed in FIDE's statement, we came to the conclusion that there were more risks than benefits in completing the event this year. The discussions were held both between the participants and FIDE Council members. There were different points of view, but no prevailing one that it was necessary to complete the tournament this year at any cost. After weighing all the risks and potential benefits we decided to postpone the Candidates to the next spring.

- Did this postponement affect FIDE financially?

- It did not. We are much more worried about the continuity of this competition. There has been already a long break and now it is getting even longer. We are facing an almost one-year period between the first and the second parts of the Candidates. As for the financial side of this competition, we would like to express gratitude to our partners for confirming the full funding of the tournament. We see no problem here.

- And in terms of sport competition?

- I repeat, there is nothing good here, but everyone bowed to the inevitable. The disease rate has gone up so sharply that taking such risks is simply reckless. The situation in Russia is quite difficult right now. We could provide safe conditions for the tournament, but from a psychological standpoint, the players are under the pressure. Unfortunately, we can't eliminate this negative factor.

As for a backup option (Georgia) that FIDE Council voted for, the incidence of COVID-19 is also on the rise there, although there were no registered cases of this disease in Borzhomi (the alternative venue). Again, from a sports competition standpoint, it is sad, but the safety of participants and eliminating excessive psychological pressure are much more important. So it is a carefully weighted decision.

- Is Yekaterinburg still the main venue?

- Yekaterinburg remains the main venue. I don’t think we will need a backup venue for the spring. We will hold the second part of the Candidates Tournament in Russia, but we are very grateful to our colleagues from Georgia for the option they offered. They did a great job to bring this event to Georgia but unfortunately, it did not happen. Talking about spring, the preparation has already begun. We are going to find a specific venue, work out all protocols with the participation of federal and local authorities, including Rospotrebnadzor. We have enough time for preparation.

- When can we expect an announcement on the date and venue of the second part of the Candidates Tournament?

- We will make an announcement no later than two months before the start. Maybe we will do it even earlier - this winter and then will stick to these dates.

- Is it a continuation of the Candidate Tournament, not a new event “from scratch”? Are we going to see the same lineup?

- It is the second part of the Candidates Tournament with the same players participating. We are in constant contact with them. We had some problems as the players have various arguments, but still, it is a constructive dialogue.

- Will the World Championship match be rescheduled as well? Will it take place in 2021 or it is hard to plan too far ahead?

- We keep the dates that we talked about a few months ago when the postponement of the World Expo 2021 was announced. As before, we are planning to hold the match as part of this exhibition. Based on the preliminary consultations with our colleagues in Dubai it sounds feasible.

- We see more and more online tournaments these days…

- We do, but it's great that finally there was a live tournament in Stavanger. Unfortunately, due to restrictions, only six players participated. Nevertheless, it was an interesting event, a real festivity for chess fans. The excitement was there until the penultimate round in which the Iranian Alireza Firouzja, playing under the flag of FIDE, lost in a drawn position to Magnus Carlsen.

- Going beyond chess, in your opinion, how will the second wave of COVID-19 affect sport as a whole?

- In team sports, I think, its influence will be not that strong. After all, if a footballer or a hockey player gets sick the matches are still played as reserve players come out. In chess it is more difficult – we do not expect any massive over-the-board competition this year.

As for online events, we are planning several competitions. First of all, this is the Online Olympiad for Players with Disabilities. It will be held in the second half of November with many players from different countries participating. It promises to be a very interesting tournament. There are some other events in the making but it is too early to announce them.