The famous Bulgarian grandmaster Veselin Topalov refused to participate in the competition, held under the auspices of the International chess Federation.
“In recent years, in the FIDE Handbook, there are many people with questionable and even criminal past. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was in the sanctions list of the USA, and acting as Georgios Makropulos uses a organization in order to find a job her friends.
The last straw was the opening of the world championship in rapid chess and blitz in Qatar grandmaster Zurab azmayparashvili, whose name is associated with many unethical actions and crime.
We should not be surprised that these people in the leadership of FIDE is close to bankruptcy. Considering all the above, I refuse to participate in FIDE tournaments and Championships up until the guide structure will not be changes,” wrote 41-year-old Topalov on its official website.
In 2005, Veselin Topalov won the double round Robin tournament in us St. Louis and became the world champion (FIDE). Subsequently, he played matches for the world crown, Vladimir Kramnik (lost on tie-break) in Elista and Viswanathan Anand in Sofia (5,5:6,5 points).
