VERY IMPORTANT LETTER. KAMSKY

[Dear and loved Fernando Arrabal... I am sending you my letter... Best wishes for New Year to you and your family. Sincerely, Roustam Kamsky and family.]>>>>

"The ancient game of chess attracts huge public interest. About half a billion people around the globe are either play chess or consider themselves chess fans. Some 100’s thousands professional players worldwide were competing for 128 spots in 2007 World Chess Cup, organized by FIDE. The highest rated American grandmaster Gata Kamsky fought thru to the top of this pyramid, winning all matches in 2007 World Cup that was held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. First started in 1998, as a bi-annual World Championships under the Olympic Knock-Out system, it is considered to be the strongest and toughest competition among grandmasters. The winners of these grandiose World Chess Cup competitions in prior years were given the title of the World Champion and they were the following grandmasters:

Anand, India;Khalifman, Russia;Ruslan Ponomarev, Ukraine; Rustem Kacimdzanov, Uzbekistan

However, the winner of 2005 World Chess Cup, GM Levon Aronian, Armenia, did not receive the title of the World Champion because the FIDE has made changes to its official rules.

By the time the American GM Kamsky becomes the winner of 2007 World Chess Cup, the FIDE rules were changed even further, instead of receiving the title of the World Champion, Kamsky has to win two more title matches. First, is the match against the ex-champion, Vaselin Topalov of Bulgaria, and then to play against the winner of the match Kramnik- Anand which will be held in October of 2008. These specifics are being said so that readers are aware of what gigantic character and mental strength are needed in order to prepare and succeed to the top on this treacherous road to the title of the World Champion.

All World Champions named earlier and even some prominent grandmasters were taken care of for their sports achievements in their respective countries of origin: Russia, India, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia. The government memorialized their names in stone, donated apartments, paid for the “practice teams”- the whole array of coaches and seconds solicited among the prominent grandmasters, and even for doctors and psychologist. Further these Grandmasters were invited to attend events with the Precedents and were decorated with the Medals of Honor.

Contrary to all these recognition and publicity GM Kamsky had absolutely nothing! There was an absolute silence in press and television, like if Gata did not exist, however there was plenty of negative press about his father, Roustam. This story is quite similar to the life of Bobby Fisher.

People may wonder why Robert Fisher was so detached towards America? Was it because he lacked the assistance and instead he received poisoned press reviews by the authors paid by the KGB and the American Chess Federation. This negative publicity, intrigues and threats surrounding his march with Karpov did destroy his image and most likely cause his emotional disturbance.

The American Chess Federation with its magazine “Chess Life” are part of the most prominent and most funded federation in the world. Over the past years GM Kamsky officially addressed the USCF on numerous occasions but there was no response, no acknowledgement and only an empty silence. Form 1989, Gata Kamsky and his father became the target of the extensive psychological pressure in press. There was no complaints against the chess game that Kamsky played but most of the negative press was about his father who was his coach and the bodyguard.

At the age of 15 Gata made his grandmaster’s norms and at the age of 16 he already became the highest rated chess player in the US and Number 6 in the world. For the past 17 years he is the only American grandmasters who qualified to compete for the title of the World Champion. Also, in 1993 Gata was instrumental when the US team won its first team World Championship with Gata playing on the 1st board. Then in 2006 the American team won a bronze medal, getting ahead of the Russian team.

At the age of 20, Gata could have been the youngest World Champion only if the match against Karpov was an honest and correct competition and if some assistance was offered to Gata by the American Government and the USCF.

Going back in history.

Gata became the USSR chess master when he was 12 years old. Gary Kasparov became master at 15 and Anatoly Karpov at 18. Both Kasparov and Karpov had full support of Michil Botvinik’s chess school and the Russian Government. Historically all grandmasters in the former USSR were obligated to work for the benefit of the chosen ones -- Karpov and Kasparov. They were the only grandmasters allowed to travel abroad. This is incomprehensible to any American because we take for granted the fact that we are free to travel anywhere. Back to pre-Gorbachev era, the “iron gate of KGB” was the way of life in the USSR. Nobody was allowed out of the country without the KGB clearance.

Once Gata becomes the chess master at the age of 12, both Karpov and Kasparov try to prevent him from playing in any chess competitions in order to stop Gata’s advancement in chess. Over the next three years Gata was allowed to play only in 4 tournaments. At which time Kamsky’s family decides to defect to any country of the free world.

In March of 1989 Gata and his father were invited to play in the New York Open tournament with the protégée of the American Grandmaster Lev Alburt and with the assistance of the American Chess Foundation, headed by the executive director honorable Allen Kaufman and James Sherwin, who will be always remembered and appreciated by the Kamsky’s family.

However, from the moment Kamskys defected, all Russian press, radio and television began the nasty, angry and inaccurate publications, campaigning about Kamsky’s “miserable” life in US, all of which was intended to destroy their image and also to create fear and to prevent other sports figures from fleeing Russia. Unfortunately there were plenty of “freelance writers” paid by KGB, Karpov and Kasparov who were reprinting this material in American press. Karpov and Kasparov and/or their associates instantaneously and effectively used government powers and psychological “pressing”.

Why would that happen? The answer to this question will stay in the dorms of the Moscow Sport’s University that has a division of sport’s psychology and sociology. As was later disclosed to Kamsky the Father-Son team was under the “investigation” by the faculty for the purpose of creating a complete psychological, physical, and mental assessment of Kamskys and their weaknesses to be able to influence them during chess competitions. Another aspect of such psychological warfare was to influence-“zombie” the minds of readers by repeating negatives and complete lies about Roustam Kamsky creating negative public image and doubt in the relationship between father and son. This is the ancient principle –to divide and conquer. No other sport figure was subjected to such an immense, long term psychological pressing thru the public press as the Kamsky team. The results were to the satisfaction of the Russian Chess Federation. Clearly a lot was learned from the Fisher’s example; as a matter of fact, Anatoly Karpov did not play the World Championship match against Bobby Fisher but received his title by a forfeiture. The plan for the American grandmaster Kamsky was not to allow him to become a World Champion in a first place.

Nevertheless, in 1993, at the age of 19, GM Kamsky did qualify under two independent cycles (FIDE and PCA) and had a chance to unite both organizations, marking the beginning of the most horrible and difficult times.

In FIDE cycle Gata won against world’s strongest grandmasters: VanDerstern, Holland; Anand, India; and Salov, Russia and qualified to play against the World Champion Anatoly Karpov originally scheduled for March of 1995.

The FIDE match with GM Salov in India was a repetition of psychological pressing against Kamsky. That the second match against Anand under the PCA cycle was lost because it was scheduled in Las Palmas, Spain only 1 week after the conclusion of the FIDE match with Salov in India. Would anybody believe that that was not an intentional overlap in the schedule? (subject to another interview)

In 1995, the Russian FIDE World Champion Karpov evasively evaded his title match with the American GM Kamsky for about a year. At that time Karpov assisted in nominating of a new FIDE president, Mr. Kirsan Illumzinov. Shortly the Kamsky – Karpov match was scheduled in Elista, Kalmikia, Russia, the home town of the new FIDE president who was also the President of Kalmikia. To play the title match against the Russian champion in Russia was a violation of FIDE rules that required a neutral country for such competitions. This match was bluntly unfair, vicious and dishonest towards Kamsky. It was the culmination of the psychological warfare against Gata which totally destroyed him and became the reason for his decision to stop playing chess.

At the beginning of the match all independent journalists were asked to leave Elista. They were taken for “cultural tours” and returned only for the last game of the match.

Gata lost the match to Karpov but not without a fight.

Game #9. Roustam Kamsky discovered a “hidden” room behind the playing hall. That room was occupied by Karpov’s seconds GM Vasukov and IM Gagarin, also there were 4 computers, radio station to gain direct access to Moscow and monitors that were positioned to control all points of egress, the playing hall and the hallways. Positions on chess computers were advanced 10-15 moves in different variations. Roustam Kamsky summonsed the arbiter, Mr. Geis, and instructed him to stop such an advance analysis or totally close the room since the door was open at all times when A. Karpov was passing thru to get to his resting room and was able to hear game analysis by his second. However, neither Mr. Geis no Mr. Arnold Denker, who was appointed by the USCF to monitor the condition of the match and to guide GM Kamsky’s interest, did not take any measures. The official protest by GM Kamsky followed to which the FIDE officials interpose a document that stated that if match is interrupted, a forfeiture will result and all prize will be given to A. Karpov. Since there was no independent international press in Elista till the end of match, there was nobody to complain to.

Like in a nightmare dream newspapers and television in America and worldwide were celebrating victories of Karpov and Kasparov. After these unfair PCA and FIDE matches Gata was close to a nervous break down, just like Bobby Fisher. Upon Gata’s return from Elista he told his story, that was not published anyway, declared his protest and stopped playing chess for about 10 years.

Shortly Gata became a student at the Brooklyn College, graduated and…. decided to become an attorney. In 2004, after Gata received his law degree he….. returned to chess. His return was as a regular player when not many believed that he will be able to come back to the high chess.

However by 2005, just in one year, Gata qualified to compete in the World Championship qualifier matches 2006. Once again he was competing alone and …he lost. Once again he was without any support from the USCF, the governing body of the American Chess was dead silent and did not respond to the numerous requests for assistance which were addressed directly to the USCF president, Mr. Goichberg.

In 2007 after winning against 128 strongest grandmasters in the World Cup, Gata became one of the four top players who will compete for the Title of the World Champion in 2008.

For Gata the match with Topalov will be his 3rd attempt to win the World Championship and he heeds moral and financial support to win.

While many strong grandmasters can qualify to compete for the title of the World Champion, winning the title requires positive publicity, sponsors, financial investment and support of the Chess Federation. The time of lonesome heroes like Capablanka, Euve, Alekhine and Fisher has ended with the arrival of Karpov and Kasparov.

If American people want to see American grandmaster Kamsky as the next World Chess Champion, he would need the support of the Government of the City of New York including Mayer Bloomberg, investment from private sponsors to conduct the matches and the assistance of the USCF. Clearly the match Kamsky –Topalov, that will continue for about 3 weeks, would definitely create a significant amount of air time for the advertising on television and radio and huge publicity in press and the internet worldwide both for the hosting city and for the private sponsors.

Sincerely, Roustam Kamsky, the coach and the father."