The Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway, will also feature the FIDE elections this time wherein incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is pitted against the legendary Garry Kasparov.
Termed as the dirtiest ever, the FIDE election is drawing more attention than the Olympiad itself as the 19-year regime of Ilyumzhinov and his team comes under a threat for the first time.
A recent article in a popular chess magazine (New In Chess) is going viral on social networks. Written by former world championship challenger Nigel Short, the article strongly supports Kasparov's cause calling the present regime 'morally bankrupt'.
It also points to changes in leadership of some countries like Afghanistan because, apparently, they sided with Kasparov.
It also brought out the fact that Ilyumzhinov himself spent more than 2,00,000 Euros of FIDE money on his travel last year.
On Ilyumzhinov claiming to have spent more than 70 million of his personal money on Chess, Short writes: "A statement as implausible as it is unverifiable".
Kasparov has been crisscrossing the world last few months promoting his candidature. According to his website, he is ahead in Asia and Africa while Europe also seems to be on his side.
The picture will be clear in a few days' time but according to his website, Kasparov has a lead of 18-14 in Africa and 15-8 in Asia with remaining as undecided votes.
Ilyumzhinov has the advantages of all incumbents and his team is leaving no stones unturned. Ali Nihat Yazici, a trusted aid of current FIDE and Chess in Schools program chairman, even called the New in Chess Article "paid news" that led to a verbal war with Nigel Short on twitter.
Ilyumzhinov also claims the backing of Asia and his site claims that Kasparov will not get more than 14 votes out of 48 from the continent.
