TWIC is 30. First issue 17th September 1994.
World Chess Championships 2010 (London Option)
London's option for WCC 2012 confirmed
Mark Crowther - Tuesday 20th April 2010
Malcolm Pein confirms that London are in negotiations to hold the World Chess Championships in 2012 on the run up to the Olympics, probably concluding around 3 months before they start.
London are in negotiations with FIDE to hold the next World Chess Championship Match in 2012. This was confirmed by Malcolm Pein to TWIC today. Future events including the 2010 London Chess Classic will be run under the banner of a new company "Chess Promotions Limited" which was formed following the success of the first such tournament last December.
If the option is taken up the match will conclude no less than three months before the Olympics comence but at a point when the world media's focus will be already turning towards London. This contradicts an earlier statement from FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos although that may have been an error in translation.
In an interview with FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos on the website: Chessdom confirmed that London has the option (with probably a slightly misleading translation saying that the World Championships will be parallel with the Olympics, they really can't take place at the same time).
Quote from the ChessDom article:
"All World Chess Championships are considered a quality jump for chess, and this one has the highest prize fund. Do you expect it to have higher effect on chess in general?
You know, the fact that we had such a generous offer from Bulgaria is already good for chess. The next organizer of the World Chess Championship 2012 has to meet the same financial standards. So, as you probably know, FIDE has already awarded an option to London to host the next World Championship Match, we have even got the financial guarantee. They feel secure that the money can be guaranteed for London 2012 for the prize fund and the other conditions. I believe that by the end of May, beginning of June we will sign the contract for the next match with the same financial standards. Which means that the offer from Bulgaria is pushing the current financial level of the WCC matches on a very high standard. This championship, if it happens in London, will coincide with the Olympics.
This is the main idea, to connect the championship with the parallel events that will be organized in London for the Olympic Games. This is very important for chess."
