On 30 of March FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov had a working visit to London. There he took part in the celebrations devoted to the 80th anniversary of Mikhail Gorbachev, the 1st President of the USSR. The event was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Mikhail Gorbachev presented "Perestroika", "Glasnost" and "Uskorenie" awards to people who made a unique contribution to the development of the modern civilization, culture, science and technology.

Beneficial evening called "Mikhail Gorbachev – the man who changed the world" was attended by the well-known public and political figures from all over the world such as the former British Foreign Secretary Lord David Owen, the one-time solidarity leader and Polish President Lech Walesa, Israeli President Shimon Peres and by the famous actors and musicians - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Kevin Spacey, Lara Fabian, "Scorpions" and others.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov heartily congratulated Mikhail Gorbachev on behalf of the World Chess Federation and wished him to be healthy and happy for many years to come.