Dear Boris Vasilievich!

It is my great pleasure to most cordially and sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of your 75th birthday, on behalf of the leadership of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), me personally and millions of your fans in all parts of the globe.

There are plenty of remarkable mementoes in your sportive chess career. You have demonstrated on many occasions your ability to concentrate and impeccably perform under very complicated circumstances. Your ability to play and your will to win is a true example for a young generation of chess players.

Thanks to you, in 1972 after your World Championship match with Bobby Fischer, the entire world learnt what chess is. For the whole chess society and not only you are a model of decency and nobility.

Your professionalism, enthusiasm, highest level of loyalty, honesty and culture as well as your modesty and kindness towards people make everyone who works with you and know you, respect you immensely.

After the termination of the active sports activities, you pass your experience to the younger generation. A chess school in Satka, Cheliabinsk region of Russia, is proudly named after you and for 10 years is a center of an active chess live in the Urals Federal district, where chess is cherished and loved. Hundreds of children in the remote places of Russia thanks to you got to know the wonderful world of chess.

I believe that these temporary health difficulties will not interfere with your future creative activities for the benefit of chess, and you will keep delighting us with your worldly wise advice and scintillating commentaries.

In my capacity as FIDE President, it is my pleasure to extend an invitation for you to be my representative at the World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand, this May.

Dear Boris Vassilievich, on this wonderful day, I would like to wish you further success, good luck, the best of health. We hope you will be always in the best of spirits and your energy will have no end. Let peace and balance always stay in your heart!


With best wishes,
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
President

Congratulations (RUS)