On Sunday, June 20, in Cuba, during the closing of the traditional Capablanca memorial, the FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov announced that an amount of $500,000 USD shall be provided during a 5-year period for the organization of two new tournaments – Caribbean Cup and Latin American Cup.

“The events shall be launched this year. They are aimed at, first of all, support of the local young talents, which are now feeling the lack of strong events, combined with a generous prize fund”, Ilyumzhinov said.

This announcement came at the same time as the information about the simultaneous exhibitions to be given by Karpov and Kasparov in a number of Latin American countries.

The FIDE President is inspired by this idea of the two champions, although it has only appeared during an election campaign, and is intending to support them by covering their travel and hotel expenses for a long-term programme:

“I welcome the initiative of these famous champions and I presume they shall perform these activities on a voluntary and non-profit basis. I hope that they will accept my proposal and that they will be active for the whole period of the next 4 years. Today all of us should prove that whatever we are promising is not only for the elections.”

The forthcoming simultaneous exhibitions are likely to highlight the most talented young chess players who will eventually play in the two new American Cup FIDE tournaments.

The FIDE Presidential Board at its meeting in Antalya two years ago created a working group of World Chess Champions under the supervision of the FIDE Vice-President GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili. I would like to express our gratitude to our great players for the participation in the activities of this working group.

“FIDE receives many requests from various parts of the world for assisting in arranging exhibitions and events with well-known chess players. I am certain that people in many countries will be happy to meet their idols. We do not have any doubt that the “two K’s” chess propaganda project is for a very long-term perspective. Now the FIDE Commission is working on a programme of the players’ visits to various countries and regions. In case of necessity I am ready to assist in financing the trips aimed at the popularisaton of our game all over the world.”

It is beyond any doubt that a co-operation of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov with the “two K’s” shall be beneficial for the further development of chess worldwide!