Kasparov woos Botswana in FIDE campaign

Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday July 7, 2014 06:59

 

The GM made a motivational speech to hundreds of youngsters at the Legae Academy, before meeting with BCF officials Yarona Lodge as part of his campaign for the FIDE polls next month. He promised to donate chess clocks to BCF. 

Kasparov became the youngest world champion at 22 in 1985. He came to Botswana in a private jet and made stopovers in South Africa and Zambia. 

He told the Botswana chess family that he already has the support of 22 African countries among them South Africa and Kenya. 

Veteran chess player, Mompati Jobe made it clear on Saturday that Botswana should back Kasparov. “All our clubs support Kasparov’s candidacy although the committee seems to have taken their position to support  current president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. In the next 20 hours or so, the clubs would have swayed that position by our committee and instructed that the BCF vote go to Kasparov. 

This time around, things will be different, we will send the Botswana vote to FIDE by proxy, there will be no cheating, we want Kasparov,” Jobe, an official of the Desert Knights Chess Club said. 

Baone Kealeboga of Bonyonyo Chess Club is also a fan of Kasparov.

BCF president, Tshenolo Maruatona said they have not decided on who to vote for. He said the decision rests with the BCF executive committee and not clubs. He could not say when the BCF would announce its position. 

The BCF top brass is rumoured to be supporting Kasparov’s opponent Kirsan, who is accused of being a puppet of Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin. Kirsan is head of state of Kalmykia where he is regarded as a despot.