 Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was elected President of FIDE at the Paris Congress on November 24th 1995. FIDE was going through a difficult period following a split in the World Championship, poor financial resources and still seeking full recognition by the International Olympic Committee. The major achievement of his Presidency was the re-unification of the World Championship with the Topalov-Kramnik match in Elista in 2006. However, for many years the President had personally supported the World Championship cycle, introducing the knock-out format in 1998 and thereby offering more opportunities for players around the world to participate in high level official competitions. During his Presidency he has been the sponsor and/or organizer of these major chess events: ° 1996 World Chess Championship Karpov-Kamsky, Elista, Russia ° 1998 President’s Cup (International Super tournament), Elista, Russia ° 1998 33rd Chess Olympiad with 110 men’s and 73 women’s teams, Elista, Russia ° 1998-1999 World Chess Championship, Groningen-Lausanne ° 1999 Lausanne Young Masters Tournament, Lausanne, Switzerland ° 1999 World Chess Championship, Las Vegas. ° 2000 World Chess Championship, New Delhi-Teheran ° 2001-2002 World Chess Championship, Moscow ° 2004 World Women’s Chess Championship, Elista, Russia ° 2004 Botvinnik’s Chess Memorial, Moscow, Russia ° 2006 World Chess Championship match V. Kramnik vs. Topalov Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and his team also regularly organised the annual World Youth Championships and World U-20 Championships. Since 1999, World Children’s Chess Olympiads are running under FIDE patronage. Apart from this the President organised 6 Russian Championships and 8 Russian Women’s Championships. Chess joined the Olympic family in 1999, when the IOC at its Executive Board meeting in Seoul, South Korea, recognised FIDE as an International Sports Federation. FIDE today has a strong financial position, able to support activities in all the Continents with seminars for Arbiters and Trainers, help for the chess developing nations and chess in schools programme. The CACDEC budget for 2010 was set at USD 300,000, a far cry from the USD15,000 spent in 1996. When Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was elected President, there were 100 Women Grandmasters. Today there are over 350, a testament to the strong support for the Women’s World Championship cycle. Also representation on the Presidential Board now includes two women by right so ensuring that the Board becomes more representative of its members .
From Ignatius Leong, FIDE General Secretary, President of Singapore Chess Federation
Dear Kirsan,
The Moscow Congress 1994 saw the closest contest in the history of FIDE Elections. Following this, an Extraordinary Congress was called for in November 1995 in Paris and this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. You, Kirsan, appeared then as an unknown in the world chess community but yet became elected FIDE President.
Immediately upon taking office, you convened your first Presidential Board Meeting in December in Singapore. There, you shocked the chess world with your brave decision to change the traditional system of the world chess championship into a knock out format with a prize fund of USD 5 million.
In the 15 years of your administration, numerous changes have taken place. I am sure several of my colleagues will write of these many changes. However, I believe that your success is not just about these splendid changes which have greatly helped develop Chess throughout all corners of the world.
It is more about your personality and your political style. You always try to embrace those who are even on the opposing side. You are a great listener - always ready to hear and receive ideas and proposals. You have the guts to make sweeping changes even though such decisions might not have been popular with your colleagues or the masses.
After 15 years, we saw a united world championship. We have more youths and women play, rated and titled. We have now a stable FIDE Chess Calendar and with so many federations biding to organize FIDE events. The overall work of the commissions have been improved and a transparent system where players may transfer federations. More importantly, FIDE revenue has increased through the transfer system and the ever increasing number of seminars held for trainers and arbiters.
During your tenure as FIDE President, FIDE became recognized by the IOC as an International Sport Federation. This was a tremendous step forward which helped put Chess as a medal discipline in the Asian Games, Asian Indoor Games, Southeast Asian Games, African Games and Pan-American Games. More than 100 member-federations of FIDE are affiliated to their respective National Olympic Committees. As a result, these federations receive greater financial support and their players became sportsmen.
Lastly, Mr President, it is also under your leadership that I have personally been involved with the work of FIDE and be part of your Team. I thank you for these opportunities. Most importantly, as members of your Team, we are inspired by your passion for FIDE and your tireless energy to promote Chess throughout the world. Your countless contributions in all forms will motivate us, as FIDE Officials and National Chess Federations, to keep up to your pace and expectations to make FIDE truly ONE FAMILY.
Ignatius Leong
President
Singapore Chess Federation
From Jorge Vega, Continental President for Americas
Dear Kirsan Nikolayevich,
Tomorrow is the anniversary of your entrance in FIDE and I want to express my congratulations for the work done by you during all these 15 years.
I also want to thank you for the oppportunity of working with you during this period in which I have seen how chess progressed under your leadership. The United team that always has backed your work has to be very proud.
I remember the early days when FIDE survived thanks to the economic support you gave, I appreciated your initiative of the knock-out World Chess Championship which gave the opportunity to participate to a lot of players from the developing federations, I have noted the increase in the participation of children and youth in our official tournaments, the Continental growth and all the other things that would take time and space to refer.
The most important work done by you has been your effort in keep chess united against the will of a few persons that tried to split it.
I do not want to add more.
Congratulations again !!
Jorge Vega
From Silvio Danailov, President of European Chess Union
Dear Kirsan,
My sincere congratulations for your 15 anniversary as FIDE President!
We all should be very grateful for everything what you did for chess during those years.
Your contribution for our sport was enormous.
I wish you a lot of health , success and luck and hope that you will continue your work with the same dedication and enthusiasm as always.
Silvio Danailov
ECU President
From Ali Nihat Yazici, FIDE Vice President, President of Turkish Chess Federation
Dear Kirsan,
The President of FIDE and my brother,
I want to congratulate you with my warm and deepest regards, for your 15th year in FIDE President post.
I want to thank you for all your contributions to chess and success in this 15 years could not be dreamed for 30 years at the beginning.
I hope you will be more 15 years in this post and we will have always collaboration for the sake of chess as two colleagues and brothers.
Best regards,
Ali Nihat YAZICI
Vice President of FIDE
President of Turkish Chess Federation
From Israel Gelfer, FIDE Vice President
Dear Kirsan,
It is 15 years from the day you have been first elected to lead FIDE.
It is 13 years that I am closely working with you, for the benefit of chess all over the world.
The list of successes in the chess world these years is well known, and partly mentioned on FIDE web, and in so many congratulating letters you are getting this day.
May I just add that I wish you many more years to come, to contribute your energy to the chess world and hopefully that your dream of developing and spreading chess all over the world will be closer then ever.
No doubt that I hope, as always, to take part in your uncompromising efforts to bring our noble game to the place it deserves.
With warm regards
Yours very faithfully
Israel Gelfer
From Alexey Orlov, Head of Republic of Kalmykia
Dear Kirsan Nikolayevich!
It’s been 15 years since the world chess community provided you with high confidence in electing the President of the World Chess Federation.
On behalf the people of Kalmykia and myself, I cordially congratulate you on the 15th anniversary of your election as President of the World Chess Federation!
I would like to note that I’m very proud that for many years had the opportunity to work with you and make a personal contribution to the development of chess. During this time you had done a lot of work that makes a game of chess came to play, even in the remotest corners of our planet.
This ancient intellectual game unites everyone - children and adults, men and women, representatives of different cultures, nationalities and religions. Today the people of Kalmykia are proud of its steppe capital, which became the real center of world chess. I wish you happiness, prosperity, new creative ideas, projects and implementation of all plans for the benefit of chess world, great Russia and Kalmykia!
Alexey Orlov
Head of Republic of Kalmykia
From Takis Nikolopoulos, Chairman of FIDE Arbiters' Commission
Dear Mr. President,
Let me use this opportunity and congratulate you on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of your election to the office of the FIDE President. Your wise guidance and your leadership have allowed during this period of time, to expand the boundaries of chess world, to bring new ideas to the work of the chess arbiters and drastically change their lives - nowadays the number of the International Arbiters and FIDE arbiters has significantly increased. Our Commission, thanks to your financial support, organises seminars in all parts of the world, and is confidently looking forward to our common brighter future.
I wish you, Mr. President, all the best, best of luck and future accomplishments during your tenure.
Gens Una Sumus
IA Takis Nikolopoulos
Chairman
FIDE Arbiters' Commission
From Elista FIDE Office
Dear Kirsan Nikolayevich!
The staff of Elista FIDE Office heartily congratulates you on this significant date!
We believe that this anniversary is another proof of everyone’s respect and confidence to you. Your professionalism and rich experience inspire many and many chessplayers and chessfans with assurance in the future of the International Chess Federation and prosperity of chess.
We wish you good health, happiness, unflagging optimism and success.
Best regards
Elista FIDE Office
From Casto Abundo, FIDE Honorary Member, Chairman of FIDE Constitutional Commission
Dear Kirsan!
This is a note straight from the heart. If Campo were alive today, he would be the first to congratulate you for 15 successful years as FIDE President.
He had mentioned privately to me many times how happy he was that you succeeded him. He said he made the right decision in giving way for you to become FIDE President in 1995.
He told me he wanted someone who could take care of his beloved FIDE and give it new direction.
Your achievements are well known. You have surpassed the number of years of Campo as FIDE President. I would like to share his appreciation for your devotion to FIDE.
Many thanks and Happy Anniversary.
Casto Abundo
FIDE Honorary Member
Chairman, FIDE Constitutional Commission
From FIDE Vice President D. V. Sundar and all participants of Asian Chess Fraternity
Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,
Greetings from Guangzhou from the Asian Chess Fraternity on your successful completion of 15 years as President of FIDE and probably many more years to serve. We look back with pride our association with you and we have always found you to be a man with amenable character, accessible to all and above all, to have the growth of Chess in your heart. You have stood by Asia and all your friends and that makes you to be a "friend in need, a friend in deed".
We from the Asian Chess Federation look forward to have a lasting friendship with you and pray to the God allmighty to give you long, peaceful and healthy life to carry forward all your plans to make Chess truely a Global Game.
With warm regards,
from All of us at Guangzhou
From Luxman Wijesuriya, Hony. Secretary and FIDE Delegate, Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, General Secretary, Commonwealth Chess Association, President - Zone 3.2
Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,
FIDE President,
Dear Sir,
On behalf of "Commonwealth Chess Association" Zone 3.2, Chess Federation of Sri Lanka and entire Chess Players in Sri Lanka I congratulate you for such a long service as the President of FIDE. We know that you are always a friend of us, who always has the mind with Chess and making the FIDE a same family.
We wish you all the very best to serve us for many more years for promoting this noble game.
Thank you very much for all the long service.
Luxman Wijesuriya
Hony. Secretary and FIDE Delegate, Chess Federation of Sri Lanka
General Secretary, Commonwealth Chess Association
President - Zone 3.2
From Ing. Luis Padilla, President of Costa Rica Chess Federation and Mauricio Castro, FIDE Delegate
Dear Mr. President,
On behalf of the chess family from Costa Rica, we want to thank your dedication, efforts, and, over all, the love you have devoted all this years to our great game, sport, art and teaching tool.
We hope that the best part of this story is just beginning, since now you can address all your energies to this passionate project, that we all have embraced freely.
Gens Una Sumus
Ing. Luis Padilla
President of Board
Mr. Mauricio Castro
FIDE Delegate
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