World chess champion keeping close check on Bellagio events

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1998 | 12:26 p.m.

Anatoly Karpov plans to show up at a press conference by the World Chess Federation at the grand opening of the Bellagio hotel-casino on Oct. 15.

But the world chess champion won't be a participant. He will be there to observe -- watching the proceedings with the eye of a chess master plotting several moves in advance.

Karpov wants to see if the Federation -- or FIDE (Federation Internationale des Esches) -- intends to follow through with an announced plan to hold its World Chess Championship Title Match at the Bellagio in December.

If so, Karpov -- who won the FIDE title this past January -- will file an injunction to put a stop to the games.

"I've had the title for more than 15 years of my life, and I'm not about to be pushed out without a good counter attack," Karpov said in a prepared statement.

Shiloh Quinn, Karpov's agent, says until a FIDE meeting held in May chess champions reigned for two years, and his client has another year to go.

"He can chose to defend his title anytime during his two-year reign," said Quinn, "but it's up to him."

According to Quinn, FIDE is breaking a contract if it holds a championship title match without Karpov's approval and a lawsuit will be filed to prevent it.

"Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is a little dictator," said Quinn. "They're trying to hijack the title, and Karpov is not going to stand for it. He will ask for an injunction if something proceeds."

Ilyumzhinov is president of FIDE, as well as president of the the Republic of Kalmykia.

At the conclusion of a FIDE executive council meeting held in May in Bled, Slovenia, Ilyumzhinov announced the board had unanimously approved holding the chess championship in Las Vegas in December with a purse of $3 million, creating an annual event.

The council said top players would be encouraged to play, including Garry Kasparov, who, in 1993, abandoned his FIDE championship crown to form the Professional Chess Association.

Quinn said that until 1975, the year Bobby Fisher resigned his title, championship matches were held every three years.

After Fisher quit the number was decreased to two, and now FIDE says it will be reduced to one, capitalizing on increased interest in the game because the championship is sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.

Karpov has won the FIDE title six times, including becoming the first reining champion after Fisher quit.

He will be in Montreal Oct. 13-14 meeting with attorneys and setting up an office there, according to Quinn, and then he will come to Las Vegas to attend FIDE's press conference and possibly to talk to attorneys here.

Karpov says he would be willing to compromise if a formula to finding a challenger could be agreed upon.

"I would be prepared to defend my crown earlier than the year 2000 but under conditions equalling the World Chess Championship Title March, which was hosted this year a the Olympic Museum, in Lusanne, Switzerland," Karpov said.